A Red Dawn
by MaskOfRed
Summary: As King Richard the Lion Heart is still missing from England, A young thief takes up residency in Sherwood Forest to escape the death penalty. But is alone in the woods really the safest course? Will Scarlet X OC
1. Ben of Sherwood

Chapter 1: Ben of Sherwood

It was in the middle of summer in England. The day was hot and smoldering, threatening anyone outside to burn them quickly without mercy. The only comfort one would find was in the shadow of a tree, or the shade of Sherwood Forest. But all knew that passage into Sherwood was dangerous. Most would say that there were dark spirits inside, waiting to steal one's soul if they ventured too far. Or that it was filled with wraiths, awaiting some fool to step into it's lair so it could eat them and throw away the bones. Utter piffle. Sherwood is, though, filled with thieves defending life and limb to live with bounties on their heads. And that itself was far more deadly then any ghastly fairy tale somebody could cook up. Most of the thieves had teamed up, "taxing" any who would try to take passage through their Forest. But one thief tended to stay alone, thinking it was the best course of action.

Young Ben, who sat in the tree tops of Sherwood, waited idly as he watched the road beneath him, enjoying the taste of a sweet apple. His post was not far into the forest, but far enough to be away from any of the others who occupied Sherwood, so that business would be good for Ben. And business was good. Though not many would venture into Sherwood, those who did were spoiled rotten Nobles who thought a man with a sword strapped to his side would be protection enough from anything that may come their way. Idiots really. Ben knew that a good arrow to the guard and an arrow aimed at the Noble, along with a good threat placed, and Ben's pockets would be lined with many riches. He never targeted large groups, more then two was just a fool's hope at dying. Ben was no warrior, and he knew it well.

It was a good life, though. No rules, no harking old nannies telling you what is and isn't proper, nothing to worry about. No one to control you. Even if there was a bounty on Ben's head, and if no one were to venture through Sherwood he would have to scavenge for food within the Forest, life was simple and easy. Who would want something else? He was free.

"We're going the wrong way, I tell ya!" A voice echoed from below, making Ben drop his finished apple and grab his bow, readying it with an arrow. Down on the road, two men came walking by, bickering to each other like old biddies. Both looked ragged and worn, obviously not rich in any sort of way. But the jingling of coin stopped Ben from putting down his bow. His gaze lowered from the men's faces to the giant purses at their sides, both nearly overflowing with coins.

"Look, I know where I'm goin', okay? Now stop yellin', I'm gettin' a bleedin' headache!" One of the men with curly brown hair said, rubbing his temples to stress more of his apparent pain. They continued walking until finally the men were directly underneath of Ben. When they were but a few feet out of the way, Ben slipped down from the trees silently, landing on his feet right behind them with his Bow drawn.

"Hello boys!" Both men gasped, not hearing his land, and quickly turned. Both looked at each other then tried to grab their own weapons, but Ben drew his bow string back farther.

"Ah ah ah I wouldn't do that, my good lads," He cooed, "I could kill you both and take the coin from your rotting bodies. But since I am feeling quite charitable today, if you just hand over those purses of yours, I may just let you live."

"Hey now, we ain't no women!" One of the men said, pointing at both of them with an offended look on his face.

"Yeah, we ain't got no purses!" Said the other, trying to look justified and proud. Ben only rolled his eyes. These guys must have been real morons, through and through. Oh well, it would make this hole thing a lot more easier for him.

"I'm sorry to hurt your ladies' virtue, but the bags at your sides now belong to me in exchange for your lives. Hand them over, then run. I like to watch ladies scurry away. Tis a very nice view." It took them minutes to realize he was insulting them, and when they finally did realize, Ben had become impatient. Quickly, and almost effortlessly, Ben shot an arrow at the coin purse on one man's hip, breaking its holding string and making it fall to the ground. Drawing a second arrow, he did the same to the other. Before either could react, he had drawn another arrow, and again returning it to aim at them. His playful smirk had made both the men sputter in frustration and embarrassment.

"You can't- He- I-!"

"But- But- But!"

"Oh poor babies, get moving before I fire a warning arrow into your ear." Ben threatened, making sure the sound of the string being pulled back was very noticeable. Again, both men looked at each other, completely in shock. When they looked back at Ben, they nodded hastily.

"Right." They both said in unison, then turned and sped down the road and deeper into Sherwood. Lowering his bow and putting his arrow back in his quiver, Ben snickered as he watched them run away. After retrieving the arrows from the ground and returning them back to where they were meant to be, he grabbed the bags and smiled widely. With the weight of these, he'd have a good diner tonight. Whistling a happy tune, Ben made his way back to his home camp with a skip in his step. He was very excited about counting each coin, maybe even doing it twice.

* * *

><p>"JOHN! JOHN!" Both men came running back to the little campsite, nearly tripping over themselves trying to get to their leader first. A large man with burly brown hair and a bushy beard stood from where he sat and watched the two men nearly fall over as they reached him. Of course, the other men who had sat with him laughed at the sight of the two rutting about. It was hard not to, after all. Two grown men pulling at each other's heels an clothes to be the first one to John, acting like children. Was comical, indeed.<p>

"John! We were walking, had come back from, we sold, town and when we, all that stuff and we, came outta no wheres and, ten no FIFTY men, And he-"

"Woah lads!" John said, stopping them both from talking at the same time. "Take a breather, eh? Now what's goin' on?" As both men bent over, heaving, one of them tried to tell what had just gone on.

"We- we went to town, just like you asked, and sold all the stuff we got from that one man and his lady. Gots good money for it.." He stopped, breathing heavily again.

"Right, go on Bull." Bull looked back up, and took another deep breath before continuing.

"We, as we tried to get back, we got- we got-"

"We got stopped by some man, HUGE man!" said the other man, extending his arms up to show how tall their robber was. "He appeared outta no wheres, and stopped us and stole the money from us. We could barely see him, he was so fast!"

"Like a viper!" Bull added, which the other man just nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, then he nearly shot Bull in the ear! Nearly died, we did, but we was too sneaky for 'em!" Both the men were nodding furiously, looking back from each other then back to John.

"Yeah, what Much said!" Bull added, once again, trying to get the last word in. That didn't seem to help John though, because the only thing going through his head was.

"Now wait a tick, you mean to say that someone stole, from US? The thieves of Sherwood?" John's voice wasn't in any way angry, in fact he almost sounded as if he was enjoying the news, like it was some sort of joke. The boys in front of him nodded. John's response was shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose. Yeah, it was very ironic that somehow some other person had stolen from them, but John had to admit, that money was supposed to feed them for the next few months. Now without it, he wasn't sure what they were going to do with what little food they had left. A little boy came up behind him, pulling on his shirt softly.

"What're we gonna do, father?" Said the young boy, knowing that that money was meant to feed them all. John looked down at his son, Wulf, and tried to put on the best smile he could. He would not want his son to know that John may be going hungry so that he could eat. If his boy knew that, he knew that Wulf would refuse to eat so that the others could. It made a father proud to know his son wasn't as self-serving as many people could be.

"No worries, Wulf, we'll find out somethin'. If anythin', we'll get back our money." John looked back to Bull and Much, face determined. "D'you remember where you were when this happened?" Again, both men nodded, pointing at the direction they had come from. They started trying to say their own versions of direction at the same time, but John silenced them both with a small chuckle and a wave of his hand.

"Alrighty then." John turned to the men he had been previously been sitting with. "You lot stay here! Will, Harold, you'll be coming with us." A young man stood, fiddling with a knife at his side and a smirk on his face.

"This should be fun." Will said, joining John and the others as they made their way out of the camp and towards the area where Bull and Much had been attacked.


	2. Captured

Chapter 2: Captured

Ben sat in his little hut, counting all the coins from the purses a second time, debating on whether having smoked turkey or prized pork. Decisions, decisions. It was only around noon, so he had plenty of time to slip into the town market and get some food, maybe some new clothes if he had money left. Most likely will, but most of the money will be for food to feed his hungry stomach. Just thinking that made Ben giggle in excitement, and his stomach rumble is eagerness. Every click of the coins brought more images of what to buy, and his imagination was his downfall. Before even being able to finish counting all of them, something hit the side of his make-shift hut with a loud thud.

"What the-?" WHOOSH! The wood and grass went up in a fire, making Ben panic and nearly fall over. Grabbing everything important, his leather rucksack he's always had and the money, he quickly crawled out of the tent. Coughing and heaving from the smoke that had filled the inside, Ben watched as what little he had was set aflame. He was only able to just see the tail feather of an arrow being burned at the back of his home. Someone set it on fire on purpose! But who-?

"There ya are!" A deep male voice sounded, and Ben turned to see four men making their way towards him, two of which he already knew. The two he stole from just barely an hour ago. Bugger! He only had one option now. Run. Throwing the sack over his shoulder and tying the purses to his belt, off Ben ran barely taking a seconds thought to figure out where exactly he was going. Just as long as it was away from them. Bugger bugger bugger! How, in God's name, did they find him? Running and running, dodging and weaving through the trees. Adrenaline rushing through his veins, making his heart increase though not allowing him to tire. Being eighed down by a large rucksack and the coin purses Ben was still able to be graceful as a deer running through the woods, almost unnaturally.

"Catch him!" One of the men behind him yelled, barely audible since Ben was so far ahead. Hearing them so far behind made Ben almost laugh with pleasure, thinking he was free from them. No one could has ever been able to catch him, no matter how fast they were. By the time he had reached the lake nearly twenty minutes later, those who were chasing him were long gone and out of sight. He looked all around behind him, making sure he could finally relax. No one. Ben laughed as he slouched over, trying to catch his breath and calm his quickened heart. He hadn't had that much action in quite a long time. Standing, he looked to the lake with a sigh, feeling generally proud of himself. He was just too good to be-

"GOTCHA!" Before reacting, Ben was tackled to the ground by some unknown person. His hands restricted above his head, and legs bound by the body of the person on top of him, Ben got a good look at who caught him. It was a male, about Ben's age, though probably a year or two older. His tan skin shows he was outside quite a bit, but most of him was covered in rags of clothes. His hazel green eyes were only slightly covered by wild strands of his longish brown hair, that was probably only brushed once today. A shade of stubble started growing on his well sculpted jaw, most likely not shaved since yesterday or the day before. And his smile, playful and proud. Oh how that smirk now irked Ben. He wasn't with the men that had started coming after him. Was this their plan? Scaring him out of his hut and herding him so that this man could capture him? That's impossible! No one could catch him!

"You're a hard one to keep up with, ya know!" The man said, chuckling just a bit. Ben just snarled up at him and tried to struggle, though unsuccessful. "Now now, I'm not gonna hurt you, so calm down." All that did was cause him to struggle more. "Hey, easy on the goods!" Ben stopped, confused at first, then realizing what he had meant. The smile that spread on his face was beguiling and impish, causing the man on top of him to look confused as to what this boy could be thinking.

"Oh, of course. Do forgive me." Ben said, sounding as pathetic and guilty as he could.

"Wha-?" BAM! Ben's knee came in contact with the man's lower bits. A groan came from the his mouth, as he nearly went cross-eyed falling off of the younger man. As fast as he could, Ben jumped up onto his feet, grabbing his bags and starting to run..until he saw the four other men blocking his path. No!

"Looky what we got here lads, a thief that steals from thieves. Tsk tsk tsk, not very nice my dear boy." The huge man said, smiling from ear to ear, along with the others. The man behind Ben finally got up to his feet, staggering still from the pain. "Got ya good, aye Will?" Will, Ben presumed, grunted just a bit before exhaling a giant breath. The taller man looked back at the young man, leaning upon the wooden stave, confident grin gracing his lips. "Not very nice to steal from folk, boy."

"You should know, huh?" Ben said, trying to keep his voice low and not betray any fear he was feeling. He was trying to think of a plan to get free. There was definitely more then two... Throw his bag at the two dolts he got before and chuck the two knives he held in his boots and the large one and the other? But that still left the one behind him, Will.

"Now, that money's gonna feed my boys and my son, so I'll be askin' you nicely. Give back the money you stole." The giant's voice only confirming his proud grin, thinking he caught the horrible man that stole his money. Wasn't much a man, but a boy, but who cared about technicalities.

"That's not very nicely, is it?" Taunted Ben. Yes keep them all distracted with talk, gives you enough time to conjure a plan. Knock Will into the lake, throw his bag at the two- No, once Ben turned to push the other man into the water, the ones before him would have time to react and be on him in no time. That wouldn't work at all..

"Look, just give us the money and you can leave, alright? Don't have all bloomin' day, and we need to eat." One of the moron's said, looking far more impatient then his leader.

"So do I!" Ben yelled, voice cracking, getting frustrated with himself that he couldn't come up with any other plan to get away. This wasn't like him, he always thought his ability to quickly plan was something to be boastful of. Keep thinking, Ben, keep thinking! If Will was able to catch him last time, what's stopping him from doing it again? And these men were far too close, and with his bag and money weighing him..He'd never get away. He couldn't sacrifice them to save his own skin. All he needed was a plan.

What Ben didn't realize, was that once he said what he did, John realized something. With a shocked expression, he looked at the boy in front of him. Actually _looked_. He was scrawny, barely having any meat on his bones. Must have been why he was so quick and fast. Pale skin, though John was sure that he spent most of his time outside. Dark, crimson red hair was chopped short in the back, while his bangs hung ragged and loose in front of his face. The red of his hair caused the green of his eyes to stand out vibrantly. Dirty as the rest of them. Barely looking a few years over 16. By God, he's just a boy! Alone in the Forest...Got's a lot of nerve, and that's sayin' something.

"So...What's yer name, boy?" The giant asked, surprising Ben and the rest of them. All of them turned to their leader, bewildered and unsure of what he was doing.

"W-what?" The boy asked, not quite knowing how to reply to this sudden change of conversation. First it was demanding money, now they were asking his name? What was he playing at?

"Yer name, what is it?" The entirely serious expression on his face confirmed Ben that this man was not soft in the head as he thought, but was being quite literal. Still didn't stop Ben from wondering why he needed his name. He was just after the money, right? But what was the harm in telling? Not like they'd run to the Sheriff and sell him out, they'd put their own necks on the line for that.

"Um, it's Ben. Ben Rouge." Ben's uneasiness was very apparent, looking from each man then looking around at the forest. John could only guess he was trying to figure out a way to get away from all of them. Luckily, he didn't know them all that well. If Ben knew that Bull and Much were about as bright as a waterlogged rock without instruction, he'd have been half way to London by now. It must be the numbers they had. Unfair, and the boy knew it. One against five wasn't exactly good numbers, after all.

"No worries, boy, we're not here to do ya harm." To prove his point, John lowered his stave just a bit, which the others followed suite. It only seemed to cause Ben more stress. He was not sure if this was a trick or not. The laugh that came from the larger man didn't help at all either. "Calm down, will ye? Look, how bout this, you come with us to our wee little camp and share our food, enjoy some company with fellow thieves, and join our merry band of misfits?" Now everyone was completely astounded. Was he really asking Ben to be apart of them?

"'Tain't much, but with another person to add their skills to our group, we could get more money and feed us better. You'd never really go hungry, or be alone. Sometimes we don't have a lot to share, but we try our best. We work together, we look out for each other, and we never sell each other out. And you look like a lad that could use more meat on your bones." John chuckled, gesturing to the sound of Ben's stomach which growled loudly, drawing everyone's attention at him and his belly. A blush crept up on his cheeks, though his eyes never left John's.

"What's your name, sir?" Ben asked, sounding a little too proper for these men who's own propriety could fill a teaspoon had they combined all of theirs together. John scoffed a bit, and smiled once again at the young lad.

"John, John Little." For once, the boys saw Ben smile genuinely then let out a small laugh.

"That's ironic, you're not even close to little." This time it was John that laughed, with a few snickers coming from the other men. John nodded his head, lounging his staff on his shoulders with a proud smile on his mouth.

"Ain't nothin' little about me, lad. Big me, big family, big everything. And damn proud of it." Of course, the rest of the men laughed harder, not letting their minds out of the gutter. Soon John joined them in laughter, though Ben was not quite positive as to why they were laughing. "Inside joke, boy, don't worry if you don't get it." Ben only nodded in reply. "So, you ready to come home then?" Ben looked around at the others around him. Each, even Will, had smiles on their faces.

"Never really been one for big crowds..."

"Now don't worry about that, not many in our happy bunch." Will said behind him, now coming up to stand at his side. Ben looked at them all once more, before his eyes land on John's. Ben nodded his head. "Sure..Willingly is a lot better then being captured, eh?" All of them chuckled.

"Aye, it is. Well, come one, lads, let's go home!" All the men hooted and hollered at John, and they turned away from Ben to start walking away. A slap on the shoulder turned Ben's attention to Will, who had a large grin on his face.

"Welcome to the crew then! Come on, we better get there soon, or else all the food'll be eaten." Another growl from Ben's stomach erupted at the mention of food, making Will laugh again. "Don't worry, camp isn't really far from this lake anyway. You'll be full of food and mead before you can say Rotting Nottingham. Will Scarlet, by the way." Will stuck out his right hand in a handshake, something Ben hadn't done in years. Hesitantly, he grabbed the other hand with his own right hand, shaking slowly. Will was the first to let go, and soon he turned to walk away from Ben towards where the others were going.

It was only then had Ben looked back at the lake. Freedom from them was only a few paces away. Will was far enough away to where he could get a good head start and not get caught. None of them would ever see him again. It was right there for the taking.

"Ben, you comin'?" Will's voice echoed, barely a few yards away from him. And letting his gaze linger on the lake a few more moments, Ben turned, nodded his head silently, and started walking with Will to his new home.

_**MEMO:**__ Stick with me here, people. I know most of you are probably wondering "I don't get it, isn't this meant to be a Will and OC story? Where is the OC? WHERE IS THE LOVE?" All in due time, just have patience, R&R and dont give up on me easily :) You'll see, it'll get good soon, i swear! I do not own any of the Robin Hood characters, only Ben so far :)_


	3. Welcome Home

Chapter 3: Welcome Home

The journey to the men's camp was as short as Will had said, barely a thirty to forty minute walk. It went by quickly too, for the men next to Ben had done nothing but talk or sing. If the two who he had stolen from before, who he later learned was Much and Bull, weren't arguing, they were leading a song that either had beer, whores, or adventure in it. It was interesting to see, and what came to even more of a surprise was that, even after Ben had pretty much robbed and threatened them, both Bull and Much were completely forgiving. They had tried to get him to talk most of the time, but had interrupted every time Ben began to talk. "That's not very nice to ask, is it?" "No no! He answered that already! Wait, did you?" "Oh! Hey maybe he likes to do this too!" It almost had Ben laughing.

What Ben didn't know was that the entire time they were walking, both John and Will had their eyes on him, watching and studying him from the back. On both sides of him were Much and Bull, taking up his attention and completely distracting him, allowing the other two to go unnoticed.

"He don't talk much, that's for sure." John said to Will, nodding his head over in the new boy's direction, though Will knew who he meant.

"Bull and Much ain't really giving him the chance." They both chuckled, seeing Ben's head switch between the two ever couple seconds. Obviously they were both trying to get his attention first before the other.

"D'ya hear his voice crack earlier?" John asked, voice growing serious again. Will looked away from the new kid, and over to John next to him. His dark eyes never left Ben, and the expression on his face had no joke or tease in it like it normally does. Hazel green eyes looked back at the red headed boy.

"Must be growing into a man then, my voice did the same when I was younger." Without really thinking, Will's hand reached to his knife, fiddling with the hilt as a habit. John just shook his head, not quite agreeing with young mister Scarlet.

"No, that was far too high for anything natural. Or at least, not to me."

"Well maybe he's not natural." Will joked, gaining a smirk from John in return. "Besides," Will continued, "I'm more interested at why such a young lad is out here in Sherwood. Only criminals live out here, so what did he do?" Of course, neither of them really cared, everybody does something or other. Sometimes nothing and you're convicted of something horrible. As was the ways of the Sheriff. But curiosity still made them wonder. "Possibly could owe 'taxed', just like us."

"We'll just have to see, now won't we." John's normal smile returned to his face as he patted Will on the back gruffly, walking faster to catch up to the other four. "Hey you two, let the boy alone, aye? You're confusin' him already!" He hollered, and Will could see and almost grateful look on Ben's face as he turned with the others to see John approach them. Ben Rouge, a strange name. Rouge...Sounded french almost. Rouge, rouge, rouge, what did it mean again? Will was sure he had heard of it before. But where?

"Will, hurry up! We're not gonna get there with you lolli-gaggin'." John's voice had dragged Will out of his thoughts, seeing everyone look back at him. Including Ben, and his bright green eyes. John was right, something was unnatural about him, something unreal. His eyes were too lively, too clear. Lips too delicate. Skin too pale. Hair too soft and smooth. But he couldn't name what it was that made him that way. And Will's curiosity, was driving him mad. The moment Will had tackled him, the moment he looked down at the boy, he knew something was amiss. Something was strange. Maybe it's the fact that a young boy was alone in the woods. Sure Wulf lived with them in Sherwood, but he was with his father and all of the other men. Ben was completely alone.

Who knows, all Will knew for sure was that he wanted to get to know this Ben Rouge. Speeding to catch up to them, they all walked together, finally reaching their little sanctuary.

* * *

><p>Ben was unsure how to really take it. It was a little campsite, barely a few men over fifteen or twenty, all having their own small huts or sleeping places. Many of them were in their thirties to forties, except Will and a small boy, who came running up to John with a giant smile and arms spread wide.<p>

"Wulf!" John yelled, taking the boy into his arms and twirling him into a hug. It must have been his son. Looking at them, he could see the similarity. Their noses and hair colour were the same, though Johns hair had grey which made it seem lighter. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of the two, pushing aside the little bit jealousy of them in their happiness. "Everyone," John said after putting his son down, "I'd like you to meet our newest member, Ben Rouge!" The few men that lived there came around and nodded their heads or shouts of greetings, in what Ben guessed was approval. "You're welcome to make your own hut if you'd like, anyone of the men can help you collect what you need." Ben nodded, looking around the surrounding, seeing what can be done about his own place to sleep. "Oh and Ben," Ben looked at the large man, "Welcome home." John winked before walking away to speak with the others. The young boy Wulf walked up to Ben, looking him up and down. A smirk raising to his face, he held out his hand.

"Wulf Little!" Ben stared down at the boy, who was barely to his shoulder. With only a little hesitation, Ben seized the lad's hand, shaking it firmly.

"Pleasure." Ben said, giving the boy a small smile of his own. Again Wulf looked him over again and nodded.

"You look filthy!" Both the boys laughed at what the child said. Ben sighed, looking himself over to see that he was very true. He titled his head towards Will, who was standing next to him, smiling himself.

"You can blame Scarlet for that, he tackled me into the ground." Will looked from Wulf to Ben, then held up his hands in a guiltless manner. They didn't believe him and only laughing harder.

"I can show you the watering hole where you can bathe, come on!" Wulf grabbed Ben's hand, pulling him along. Before Wulf could get far though, Ben put a little resistance into the tugging, making them both stop.

"Wait, where do I put my stuff?" Ben asked, looking around seeing if anyplace was safe enough to put his bag. He wasn't sure if any of the men here were exactly trust worthy besides the ones he had met. Then again, he wasn't really sure _they_ were trustworthy either. Had to have been though, if he came along with them..

"Here," Will said holding out his hands, "I'll put them in my hut. It'll be a bit before you completely build your own so you can sleep in mine til yours is finished." His reassuring smile somehow caused Ben to put up little effort in keeping the bag within his arms. With a heave, Will hosted the bag onto his shoulder, carrying it towards a small hut that was a little further away from then some of the other. Silently Will was wondering how the heck Ben ran so fast with this on his back, it weighed so much. Ben just stood watching the him leave though, confused and saddened that he didn't even get to say thank you.

"Oh! And here!" Ben remembered and quickly went over to John, handing him the two bags of coins that had been tied to his belt this entire time. John let the purses fall into his hands, looking at Ben and seeing an actual smile on his face. It faltered for a second, "I'm sorry I stole these from you, but I thank you." The falter disappeared and his smile returned, and the green in his eyes seemed to twinkle. Just as fast as he had appeared, Ben turned to Wulf, grabbing his hand and walking towards the waterfalls where the men bathed.

* * *

><p>"So tell me more about yourself!" Wulf asked, letting his hand slide from the other boy's so that he could walk a little ahead and kick random rocks that come into his path. He seemed to be a smart lad, skilled in taking care of himself. He had to be, if he were living out here on his own. Sure, Wulf had his dad, but that only went so far, and it's not like John was sheltering the boy. But even being an outlaw and hunted and living in the wilds, Wulf had a happy and carefree attitude. Ben couldn't help but respect that, especially for one so young.<p>

"Well you know my name. I grew up near London in a small little hamlet and moved here some years ago. I'm about 5'3". Um, I'm scared of cages. I'm only 15-"

"Hey, I'm 12!" Wulf said, now walking backwards and smiling up at Ben. The older boy smiled down at the younger, nearly laughing at his excitement for someone near his own age. Will must have been the only one close to Wulf's age before Ben came along, and he was most likely around 20 or 22.

"Ha, I thought so. What else do you want to know?" Wulf looked around in thought, grabbing a stick from the ground and swinging it softly as if it were a small sword and he were fighting enemies. Suddenly, the action seemed to have given him an idea, as his face lit up.

"Can you fight? I heard you robbed Much and Bull so fast that they couldn't even see you!" The eagerness in his voice made Ben laugh out loud, sending an almost melodious sound echoing into the Forest. Young boys and their obsession with action and adventure, it was almost cute. Especially with young Wulf.

"Yes, I guess you can say that. I'm skilled with a bow, but I've nearly mastered the art of fencing. My master, the one who raised me, taught me everything he knew before he passed away." At the mention of his old master, Ben's voice seemed to sadden just a bit, though his smile still graced his face. Wulf felt bad for bringing it up, so he tried to chance the subject quickly. He didn't want to make his new friend depressed.

"Well then why are you out here with us criminal folk?" Referring to himself as a criminal made Ben smiled at Wulf. Definitely cute. How can you honestly be anything but happy with the little chap? But the question itself finally sunk in, and Ben's sad expression returned.

"They thought I was the one that killed him." Wulf stopped dead in his tracks. They've never had a murderer in the Forest. Thieves, accused innocents, those who didn't pay the Sheriff taxes, but never a murderer. Maybe on who killed out of self defense, but never intentional. Normally those were sentenced to death when accused of the murder, or they'd run away, far away so that no one ever finds them. But here Ben stood, a convicted murderer, trying to live in a so called haunted forest.

"Is it true?" Wulf couldn't help but ask. And his answer was almost immediately answered. Ben's face contorted into offended, then angry, then sadness. And it's the sadness that stayed, and even caused tears to brim in his eyes. He couldn't reply right away, only shook his head slowly, closing his eyes tightly to rid himself of the coming tears. Wulf knew, then, that Ben was innocent, just like the rest of them. That the charge was false. It had to be! "I know you didn't!" He let out, rather loudly and randomly, drawing Ben's gaze to him. Wulf's face was determined and stoic, showing how serious he was. It confused Ben, how can he be so sure without even knowing what happened. There had been so many people ready to hang him or chop his head off by just hearing he stuck one of his fencing swords into the old man, yet Wulf had his mind set on Ben not being guilty.

"W-why?" His voice was soft, almost tender, most likely from him trying to hold back what he was feeling so to feel more manly. Wulf just smiled at him, that same proud and cheerful smile he had since the first they met.

"Cause, no murderer would feel bad about killing, and you do. Come on, this way!" Without another word, Wulf walked off to their destination. Watching his retreading figure, Ben could only be thankful that for once, some one believed him. That someone knew he loved his master as a father...and for that, he was forever in Wulf's debt.

When they had finally reached the falls, Wulf told Ben that he would be around here if he needed him and that he would give him some privacy to clean himself. _Thank the Maker.._. Ben looked down to the falls, and it was a beautiful sight. It was in a ravine, almost a giant hole for the water to fall in. A small worn path from where he stood shown, indicating a way to get down. The pool of water down at the bottom looked deep, but refreshing and Ben was excited to feel clean for once in a long time. After carefully walking down the slope, Ben began to take his clothes off behind the falls. First the rag vest and scarf he wore to keep himself warm, then his boots, pants and socks. His shirt came off, revealing undergarments and bandaging that was wrapped around his chest. Unwrapping the linen, a sigh of relief escaped Ben's lips as breasts perked at the cold mists of the falls.

Yes, Ben Rouge was not a boy, but a girl. It has been a long day, and keeping the wrappings on so long was hard to breath, much like wearing a corset that didn't give you shape but took it away. And when Ben took off her undergarments, folding her clothes and setting them aside and dived into the cool water, she was finally relaxed. She had been nervous the moment John and the others came to her camp, fearing they would find her out to be a woman. She had lived alone for years, not wanting any to know what her real gender was, but it was taxing. Sure, she didn't think the outlaw's life was all that bad, but sometimes business was slow and would cause her belly to grumble for many days at time. If she was in a group, that would be less the case, or at least she hoped. It was troublesome and dangerous, but once she got her own hut, it shouldn't be that horrible, just as long as she was careful.

Her thoughts distracted her, and the water calmed her. But, like before, her relaxation was her downfall. For when she stood from the water, completely naked, she heard the gasp of a 12 year old boy.

_**MEMO: **__My this is a long one, eh? I'm rather proud of that! But it's a twist huh! Told you that things would be popping up soon ^^ Haha I just noticed i added "Thank the Maker" and i instantly thought of DragonAge, gawd I'm a dork! it's gonna get even better, so sit down, R&R, and get excited for the next chapter ;P_

_**Silverwolfneko-chan:** Thank you so much for the review though I'm sorry that I turned Ben into a girl. I read your review and was excited cause 1) I got my first review and 2) You liked it. But I got super sad that you liked Ben being a boy cause I knew I was gonna change it in this chapter. Hopefully you still read it, Ill be in your debt, and thank you again for the review!_


	4. Discovered Secrets

Chapter 4: Discovered Secrets

The gasp caused Ben to look up the cliff side to see Wulf staring at her clutching a bundle of clothing. Panic set in, she was caught! Quickly she ran over to her clothes, putting on her shirt, not caring to wrap the linen around her, and slipping on her pants. With the rest of her clothes in hand, she began running up the walkway, hoping that Wulf hasn't already run and told the others.

"W-wait!" Ben heard, and before she could truly get away, Wulf was in front of her blocking her exit. Ben clutched her clothes in her arms to her chest, afraid he could still see her, even with clothes she had on. "Wait, I'm not gonna hurt ya!"

"It's not hurting me that I worry about, Wulf, now please move." The deep manly voice Ben had put on now vanished, letting her real voice sound, one that was soft and sweet as honey. It nearly made Wulf double take had he not seen what he did just a few minutes before. "If you were to tell the others-"

"But I won't!" Wulf screamed, blocking her path one more time once she tried to make her escape again. Ben looked down at Wulf, completely confused now. "If you don't want them to know, I won't tell, I swear." He said, seeing now that he's got Ben's full attention. Her questioning expression never left her face, though she did not try to run again.

"But why?" She asked, letting out the question she finds herself asking the young boy quite a bit.

"I don't know why you don't want us knowin' you're a girl, but if it really means that much to you, I can keep a secret. I've got tons of 'em! I don't wanna lose a friend." The sad expression on Wulf's face nearly broke Ben's heart. Already, within just the thirty minutes or so they've known each other, Wulf's already considered them mates. Something Ben has not had since she was was a young girl in her Master's castle. "Just please don't go. We can keep you safe! I can keep you safe." His words struck her harder then an arrow, and Ben dared to smile at the young lad. Her body relaxed as she took a step forward, bringing the boy into her arms in a hug.

"Thank you, Wulf." He hugged back, smiling as big as he could. When she pulled back, Wulf could see the actual girl that she was when she smiled, truly smiled. She was beautiful, beyond words, and Wulf found himself blushing. Why would she want to hide that away? Any other woman would be jealous of her, even with he short boyish hair. "Let me get dressed and we can go back to the camp." As she began to walk away. he suddenly remembered why he had seen her in the first place.

"Oh, wait! Here," he handed her the bundle of clothing he had, "Will said to give this to you since he didn't think you had any other clothes." As she went to grab it, hearing Will's name caused her to tense up suddenly and look all around them. Guessing what she was worried about, Wulf quickly added, "He left already, don't worry. He didn't come anywhere near the falls." When she eased and grabbed the clothes with a nod, he knew he erased her fears. With a small smile, Ben went behind one of the trees to properly dress, including wrapping her linen to suppress her small breasts. It didn't take long, but it gave Wulf enough time to really think what happened. He never seen a woman before, well besides his mum and that scarred him for life. But Ben was actually a girl! Somehow, it didn't faze him as hard as one would think. I mean, she still likes everything he did, she didn't change. Just her voice did. So, it wasn't really that big of a deal, was it? Once she came out, Wulf looked at her strangely.

"What?" She asked, noticing the expression on his face, subconsciously worrying something was wrong with her. Ben may have been able to hide her gender, but she would still be a girl inside, with a girl's fears about how she looked.

"It's just, you seem happier when you don't dress like a boy. Why dress like it if you're not happy?" His bluntness and question nearly had Ben falling over in surprise. Sure, ask why she dresses like a boy, that's a question she would have guessed to hear. But never did Ben think someone would ask her why she dresses like that if it doesn't make her happy. This boy was full of surprises, and she was sure she was never going to get used to it.

"Um, for my protection, I guess." She said, leaning against the tree she had changed behind. The young boy looked down in consideration, thinking her answer over. It seemed like a legitimate reason to him. Can't be happy if you're not alive. Once he looked up, the look in his eyes told Ben that Wulf's curiosity was yet to be satisfied.

"From the Sheriff and his men?" Ben's only response was a smile and a nod. He caught on quick. "But you're in Sherwood Forest, and with us now! We can protect you! The only people who really pass are those on their ways to London, and even that's rare. We gots them spooked with 'ghosts'." The proud grin on Wulf almost made Ben believe in him, almost. Ben had seen the wind chimes they had made. When she had first come to Sherwood, it nearly scared the willies out of her. But as the days passed and she found what was making the noises, it had become a lullaby for her almost.

"I know, luv, but they are looking for a woman murderer, not a boy thief." Ben's answer was again troubling for Wulf, she could tell that much from the face he made. It was just like the one he had made only minutes ago, which nearly made her giggle because it was so cute.

"What do you mean?" A simple enough question, and Ben figured she should have explained a little better. It's not like she was talking to an adult with better reasoning skills or schooling. Wulf was far from stupid, but that didn't mean he was going to understand as easily. Sliding down from the tree, Ben sat cross-legged at the roots, trying to find the right way to tell him without making it sound too complicated.

"I was accused of murdering my master when I was 15 years old-"

"But you're 15 now." Wulf said, thinking that it wasn't too long ago. Maybe he heard about it but didn't think to much of it since it didn't concern him or the others. Could be the reason why he had never heard of her before. Word travels fast, especially with outlaws, and when crime has been down the men knew to keep an eye out for any new-comer. Especially a murderer, who could possibly kill anyone of them if they were to somehow escape the Sheriff.

"No," She smiled guilty, "I've actually just turned 20 last spring. Its been nearly 5 years since my master was killed." The shocked look on Wulf's face only made Ben feel even worse for lying to the boy, when he has been nothing but a friend to her from the beginning. "Since I'm rather short for my age, acting like a young lad is rather simple. And since the law knows how old I am, they will be looking for me as a woman of 20, not the way I look now. Now I am a boy of 15, making a living on thieving from those who travel into Sherwood. This way I am less of a threat to you and the others, for even if you all get pardons for your own crimes, housing a murderer will get your head put in a basket along with mine." Ben stood, walking over to Wulf and placing her hands on the boy's shoulders, squeezing lightly. What she said seemed to have finally sunk into his head, because now his expression was in between anger and confusion. She could only assume he was confused about her being an criminal though, not at what she had said.

"But you didn't do it!" The worried look on the kid's face, as well as his statement, made her feel warm and wanted. By the end of the day, she knew it would be him that she would be praying for and giving thanks to the Maker for sending this little angel her way. He was the closest thing to a saint she had ever come by and she wanted more then anything that he wouldn't change. He was just too good to be true. She even made a mental note to pinch herself later when he wasn't looking to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"No, and thank you for believing in me, but when they found my sword within his heart, it didn't matter who killed him just as long as they got a neck to cut on the board." With a hardy pat, Ben sadly smiled and walked passed Wulf, throwing her old clothes over her shoulder. "Maybe one day I will grow my hair and wear a dress once more, but for now, it's wrappings and pants." She turned around, putting on a real smile for her friend. "Now come," She jerked her head back towards the camp, "time to head home before your Pa thinks I've kidnapped you." Her smiled reassured Wulf, making him feel just a bit better. As they began to walk, he realized one important question that he had yet to ask, making him feel the fool for not questioning sooner.

"Ben?" Wulf stopped, making her stop to turn and look at him.

"Yeees?" She said playfully, inside very happy that she didn't have to lower her voice while she was around him. It was definitely a burden off her shoulders since she didn't have to concentrate all the time about how low she had to make it.

"What's your real name?" Ben almost felt like a moron for him asking this. You'd think that telling your name would be the first thing told, but apparently Ben had completely forgotten. Shaking her head as she laughed at herself, Ben extended her hand like they did the first they met.

"Benjamina. Benjamina Rouge." Wulf's smile erupted, taking her hand roughly and shaking it like mad. "But, Ben for short." She winked down at the youngen, who nodded happily, now understanding why she used the name Ben for her disguise. With that, they began to walk back to camp, a hop in both their steps and a happy smile on their faces.

* * *

><p>By the time those at the camp seen them come close, they were singing a tune together merrily, skipping into view.<p>

"There was an old farmer who sat on a rock

Stroking his whiskers and shaking his

Fists at his neighbors who sat on their ricks

Teaching their children to play with their

Kite strings and marbles in the old days of yore

Along came a lady who looked like a

Decent young lady and walked like a duck

Said shed discovered a new way to

Bring up the children to sew and to knit

The boys in the stables were shoveling up

Contents of stables left after the hunt

The barman was feeling a nice piece of

Straw from the stables, cleaning the walls

In came the dairymaid to play with his

Dog in the dairy where she did belong

If you think this is dirty well you're f***ing well wrong!" They sang together, laughing when they finished. It was a good sight to see, John thought, seeing his son have a friend instead of being around all these older men. Will thought something close to it, but it was more of Ben laughing and clean that he thought was good. The awkward quite lad he had once been seemed to have disappeared thanks to young Wulf, which Will made a mental note to thank him later. Sharing a hut with him would have been fairly awkward had he been silent and unsociable.

"There you two boys are! We'd thought you drowned." John played, making some of the men snicker silently. His only response was the two youngsters looking at one another and smiling, as if some inside joke was shared. It was Wulf that replied first, quickly making his way over to where the men sat, taking his own seat right next to his dad.

"Sorry, father." Was all he said, as a slice of bread, a piece of meat and a mug was passed to him. Quickly he dug in and began to eat. Ben, however slowly made her way over, smile still on her face. Seeing a spot in between Wulf and Will, she set her clothes on the ground and sat. The food again was passed, and she was more then eager to sink her teeth into the food.

"Feel better?" A voice to her right said, making her look up to see the eyes of Will Scarlet. A sweet smile crossed her lips as she nodded softly.

"Very, thank you." Her voice was back to being low, making Wulf look up from his eating to look at her. Ben knew Wulf's eyes were on her, so when she turned to look at him, she gave a playful wink and a smirk. A smile of his own came to him as he dug back into his food. Having a secret between the two made Wulf feel special and feel like a real friend. No one else would know it except him, and he made sure that he would keep her secret til the grave. Or when she was ready to tell everyone. Whichever came first.

"Good, gonna need all the energy you can get to help build your hut tomorrow." Will grinned, taking a bite of bread. Ben had almost forgot that she needed to make her hut tomorrow. With all the talking and questions she and Wulf had, it completely slipped her mind. She was not scared to build one, of course, she's made one before, but she remembers sleeping in cold shelterless nights because she could not make it fairly quickly. "If you'd like," Will said with a mouth full of food, "I can help gather with you. But you're own your own with the building, mate. I hated that part."

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Ben blurted, unable to hide that part of her upbringing, "And I would appreciate any help, Will, thank you." She smiled up at him again before she went to eating her own food. Will blinked at her for a few minutes, unsure how to really take what she just said. That sounded way too posh for a boy thief. Then again, his mum, when he was back at home, could have scolded him to be a nice little boy with manners so that must have been it. Of course. Shrugging his shoulders, Will went back to eating as if nothing happened, though silently laughing at himself.

Once everyone had done eating, they began talking and telling stories, which was very interesting for Ben. It's been years since she had any real company, and hearing all these people, laughing with them, she enjoyed it tremendously. A smile could not leave her face, even if she tried. She even told some stories herself, about her own little adventures, though nothing grand as to draw attention to her too much. And when the light of day had become twilight, and then became night, the men all retreated to their huts.

"Come on, Ben, I'll show you ours." Will said, catching Ben yawning. Standing, both of them made their way to the hut that was farther away from the others, but not so secluded. It was a good sized hut too, plenty of room for them both. Ben could only guess how long it took to make, no wonder why Will hated building them after this. Inside was cozy and not luxurious, though that was a given. Two candles lit the inside, letting her see a few daggers lay about here and there, clothes laying in one corner, Ben's leather bag and a larger bed of hay filled most of it. "Not exactly a castle but-"

"A hut in ones' eyes is a castle to another. It's perfect." The delicate smile had made its way to Ben's face, almost annoying Will, still not sure why it looked like it didn't belong to him. As Ben went to the bed, she took off the vest that Will had given her, folding it and placing it atop her bag with the other clothes she owned. Next she took off her boots, making sure to leave on the socks for warmth. Will soon did the same thing with his boots, only instead of just taking off his vest, he began to remove his shirt too. Ben couldn't stop the blush that crept to her face, making sure to turn away and not look. She had never seen a man without any sort of clothing. Maybe without socks, but that was as far as she had ever seen. And with Will's disregard for decency- Oh wait, Ben was supposed to be a boy, wasn't she? Oh these few days are going to be really hard.

"Ben? You okay?" Turning, Ben seen that Will had put on another shirt that was much thicker then his last, one he probably wore when he slept to keep warm and comfy. Hoping that the blush was hidden by now, she nodded, forcing a smile on her face.

"Yes, of course, why not? Don't be silly!" Twice her voice cracked from her deep voice, making her even more nervous. Quickly she sat on the bed of hay, covering her face with her hands, in an attempt to hide another blush from showing. A laugh caused her to peek through a finger, seeing Will was crouched down in front of her, barely a few inches away from her face. She nearly squealed had she not covered her mouth in time.

"_You're_ the silly one. You sure you're okay?" Ben sighed, feeling too embarrassed and not wanting to further her humiliation. Why was she acting like this? Was it because she saw his torso? His surprisingly muscular torso...that only had a light patch of brownish blonde hair on his chest and a little running down his belly button and passed his pants. Not that she looked or anything. _Oh gawd I'm horrible..._

"Yes, it's just...I hadn't spent time in the company of another in nearly five years. It's so foreign to me now." She refused to look up at him, thinking that her telling him this was bad. She wrapped her arms around her legs, drawing them to her chest. It was true, that was another reason she was so nervous. Ben was scared that anything she did or said would cause offense. Its been years, after all, customs may have just a bit since she was last in civilized company. Not that this place was much civilized, but beggars can't be choosers.

"You were 10 when you became a criminal?" Will asked, feeling guilty for the poor lad. Alone since he was ten, that must have been horrible, especially for such a young child. No mother, no father, not even any siblings. Completely alone and forced to live by himself. Will had the men to look after him when his mother died, he was never really alone. Sure, he chose to set himself farther away from the others, but he always knew the others weren't far away. Ben was completely alone. No one to care for him. It was only a miracle that he was completely sane.

"Huh?" She asked, looking up at Will with a confused face.

"Ten, you were ten, right? Or around it. I mean, you don't look a day over 15. Maybe 16 but I doubt that." It was then she realized what he meant, mentally slapping herself for letting her guard down and forgetting what age she was meant to be acting.

"Oh! Right, yeah I'm 15." She said, more to herself then the man in front of her. Will's face contorted in wonder. How had she forgotten her own age? But when she looked back at him, his expression was normal as it had been before. "How old are you, Will?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"I'm 22." He said, giving her a small smile as he, himself, sat next to her upon the hay bed. Stretching with a yawn, he lay down, hands behind his head in a relaxed position and a content smile. "Best get to bed though, Bennie boy, you've an early morning tomorrow after all." She could all but hear the smirk in his voice. Thinking of sleep made her realize how tired she was, making her yawn and laid down just as Will did.

"Good night, Will."

"Yeah, yeah, good night." Ben smiled softly, then closed her eyes to sleep soundly, listening to Will's deep breathing.

_**silverwolfneko-chan:** Thank you so much for still reading! You're amazing :) I hope I don't disappoint anymore, and I hope that the more you read the more you like it. Thank you thank you thank you! :D_

_**MEMO:**__ And the plot thickens, pretty long chapter too. Huh, I seem to be doing that a lot lately, huh? WOOT! Let's see what holds for Ben and Will tomorrow as they venture out into Sherwood to collect for Ben's hut. Hope you all enjoyed it, R&R, and get ready for the next chapter coming soon :) Btw, I do not own the song/rhyme I heard it on the internet and just thought it would be funny to put on here. I do not own any of the characters in Robin Hood besides Ben, so far._


	5. Not So Alone

Chapter 5: Not So Alone

The sun peeked through the little cracks in between the stick walls, hitting Ben with warm light. And when the glare hit her eyes, she almost immediately awoke. She stretched her body, hearing a few cracks come from some of her joints, sickening but was relieved. A content smile spreading over her face, for once having a good nights sleep in years. Normally, Ben would be plagued with nightmares of her master's murder, and her being accused. It was horrible; her being just a fraction too late to stop the armoured men from stabbing the sword into his chest. Every detail of the memory haunts her in her sleep. She could hide away from it during the day well enough, but at night her dreams never gave her peace. Maybe it was because she wasn't alone and was with friends that night that gave her solace in her dreams.

Friends, such a strange word. One she had not used in quite some time. The serving men and women who lived with her in her master's castle, as well as her master and his lady were the only friends she had ever had since her parents died. Nearly five years in complete solitude, and now Ben was surrounded with people. It was a bit to get used to, half the time she wasn't sure if they were talking to her or someone else. Very confusing indeed.

"Ah, finally up sleepyhead?" A voice said, drawing Ben's attention to Will's head poking out of the blanket covered door. "Come on, you need to eat something before we head off to collect wood." He folded the curtain back fully and tying it with a string, letting the sunshine in to completely cover Ben. She nearly screamed from being blinded by the light, but let out a low groan to keep up her charade. It seemed to have worked because she heard a snicker come from Will as he walked away from the hut.

"Jerk." She grumbled, standing up and stretching one last time. The linen that was covering her was loose around her torso, but still held on enough that she wouldn't have to worry about it for another few hours. At least Ben hoped so. Quickly tightening the wraps, Ben thought of Wulf and their new-found secret together. It was both a gift and a curse that young Wulf knew that she was a girl. A gift, because now she could confide in someone and get things off her mind. A curse, cause if he were to slip and accidentally tell anyone, she wouldn't know how welcome her stay would be anymore.

"Come on, slow poke! Your food's gettin' cold!" Will yelled from outside, most likely near the fire. With a sigh, Ben pushed aside her thoughts and worries, stepping out into the crisp morning air of England and towards the other men.

"Good morning, Ben." John said, seeing her walking towards the rest of them. Ben nodded her own greeting, a yawn interrupting her from actually saying something. Before she could sit down though, Wulf had sneaked up behind her, tackling her to the ground.

"Got ya!" Wulf hollered, laughing as he looked at her bewildered face. When she finally realized what happened, she laughed as well, quickly rolling him over. They wrestled with each other playfully, instigated by the men around them who laughed and hooted just as much as they did. After a bit, John came over to separate the two, grabbing them by their shirts and hauling them up like they both weighed absolutely nothing at all.

"Alright you two, good to see you're so lively in the morning, but young Ben here needs to eat. Needs all the energy he can get to haul all that wood." Both of them dusted themselves off of leaves, together going to the fire to eat with huge grins on their faces. As she sat down, Will came up next to her with a plate full of scrambled eggs and bread. The food, though little, smelled delicious and Ben's stomach grumbled in anticipation. It had been so long since she had actually had scrambled eggs. Normally it was just an apple or a piece of bread, something small or barely anything at all. Eagerly, she shoved the eggs down, not caring that there was barely any flavour at all to them. When they were gone and in her stomach, she started munching on the bread, not noticing the eyes staring at her. Finally finished with her food, she set the plate down, happily stuffed with food.

"Hungry, are we?" Will asked, trying to hold back laughter after watching her scarf down food like it was nothing. It was then, as she looked up to Will with a questioning look, that she noticed everyone was staring at her with large grins.

"Um, I haven't had eggs in years." She told them, looking slightly guilty as a red flush came onto her cheeks. All of them laughed though, obviously understanding what it was like not to have a certain food for a long period of time. Instead of embarrassing herself further, she stood up turning to the man next to her. "Ready to go, Will?" He stood as well, giving her a nod and a smirk. With a wave, they both headed out into Sherwood to look for the good pieces.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for them to start spotting out long limbs of wood that had fallen off of trees during the rough winds and storms England tended to have. The branches, though lengthy and strong, were rather light, allowing the two to carry a good number of them to take back. Will told her on the way that to make a good hut, you'd need strong wood, which wasn't exactly light, so coming back would most definitely happen. Of course, Ben didn't mind, she remembered making hers and it nearly took a week to find good branches since there hadn't been any winds to blow them down that season.<p>

"Do you think we have enough for today?" Ben asked, lifting one last branch onto her stack. Looking at both of their hands, completely packed with wood and dried long grass, he nodded at her, though it was barely seen over his arms full.

"Yeah, I think we do. Depending on where you put it and how we put it together, we'll come back tomorrow and gather some more. It seems this area here is over abundant with it all." Will said to her in an almost a disdained voice as they started towards home. He hates building huts. Gathering, almost as much. At least with finding the stuff, it's easy just tiresome. Building was just a hassle altogether. If a branch wasn't long enough, you had to find one. If the dried grass wasn't strong enough to hold the wood together, it would break and it would all fall apart. If you didn't start out right, it would never get finished and you'd have to sleep with someone else or in the cold. Too much hassle...

Seeing his expression made Ben laugh, which drew Will's attention over to her. Another thing that didn't sound natural for him. That laugh was too...Sweet? Was that the word for it? Or would it be considered lovely? Like a laugh made for an angel or a beautiful woman. What kind of laugh was that to have for a boy of 15? It had to be puberty and Ben hadn't gotten there yet. It would explain why Ben didn't have any sort of facial hair at all. Also why his voice cracked so much, or how it wasn't exactly deep. It had to be the reason for it all.

"And what is so funny?" Will asked, smiling spreading to his face involuntarily. The laugh may not have sounded as if it should belong the the boy next to him, but somehow it made Will want to do nothing but smile.

"Your face! You really don't like doing this kind of stuff do you?"

"Not in the slightest." He answered quickly, making Ben laugh even harder.

"Well then, I thank you kindly for helping me, Will." She said sincerely, a knowing smile on her face. The man just shrugged at her, trying to act as aloof as he could.

"Nah, it's okay. My mum had me do this kind of stuff all the time. Probably why I hate it so much." His expression seemed to go far off, as if his mind was somewhere else. It made Ben incredibly curious..

"Where is your mum? I've not seen any women here with us at camp." The moment she asked, Ben instantly regretted it. Will's face was not spaced out, or happy, like it was only a few minutes before. This time it was sullen and down, and she was sure that she even seen tears starting to form. Though, Ben was sure, he wouldn't let them fall in front of others. "Will, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry-"

"No, it's okay." He looked back at her with a forced smile that Ben could tell was only a mask for his real feelings. "No, you don't see her because she died some years back." Will looked away from the sad look in Ben's eye. He hated to be pitied. He knew it wasn't that exactly in the other boy's expression, but even sadness wasn't one of the things he liked either. Especially if he was the subject of it. "We lived out here because of my being a bastard child with no father, and that was itself a crime against both me and my mother. So she came out here in Sherwood to be away from those God-fearing morons and their constant bickering about her sinful ways." He paused for only a second before he continued. "We stayed for years, until I was 15, and a harsh winter came. There was barely any food since our little farmland was dried and unable to bear any harvest, so all the food went to me. I didn't even notice it til she started loosing so much weight from not eating.

One day, a snowstorm hit for nearly a week, and we were completely out of food. Our bellies were starvin', and there wasn't even scraps to eat. She told me to stay in the hut and stay warm while she goes to the town to see if she could get food. I begged her to stay, but she wouldn't hear none of it. All she said was 'I'll be back before you wake'. It was three days til the storm stopped and she hadn't returned home. So I went out in search for her. I looked in the town, the roads, and she wasn't anywhere. And when I finally found her, it had been a week and her body was frozen in the snow, clutching wrapped pieces of meat." Will heard a gasp come from Ben, but he didn't turn towards his companion as he continued to walk back to camp slowly. "I had to wait til spring came and the ground thawed til I could bury her properly. It was only seven years ago and I can still remember it all like it was yesterday," He scoffed. "Anyway, John and them all came only a few months later, and I stayed with them. Learned to use a dagger and sword, how to hunt better, and become a thief. Not all that bad of an ending, I guess."

Ben wanted more then anything to comfort her friend. She could hear it in his voice that he was straining to keep back the tears that were threatening to spill. Hell, she was having an issue making sure she herself doesn't cry! But Ben wanted to hug him so that he knew he wasn't alone. Was hugging very manly? Her master would hug her when she was sad or scared, or when he was very proud of her, but she wasn't sure that was the same. That was more like a fatherly hug. Oh! The stable boys! They would pat each other on the shoulders, that should work! Right?

Without dropping any, Ben shifted the branched in her arms til she was able to free her left hand. Gently, she touched Will's shoulder, drawing him to a stop as he turned to look at her. A sad but genuine smile slowly curved on her face, as she lightly patted his shoulder. It was a small gesture, but Will was grateful of it. It wasn't coddling, or pity, but a comfort between friends. Will returned her smile, and seemed to have brighten up just a bit, though enough. Seeing it only made Ben smile more. And it was the same smile, the real true one, that Wulf had seen yesterday. The one that brought out Ben's beauty and had made him blush. Seemed to have worked on Will too, because the moment he saw it he couldn't move, and it was only a miracle that he didn't blush as well. Ben didn't seem to notice though, and began to walk off towards the camp again, leaving Will standing there in awe.

How is it that any male could be as beautiful as that? Even if he hadn't reached puberty just yet, he should be showing signs of being at least _close_ to being a man! Maybe he wasn't as old as he said he was and was possibly younger. May be the reason he forgot his age last night. That would explain it. May be he was just unnaturally tall for his age. Yes, that had to be it! He hoped...

"You comin', Will?" Ben said playfully, repeating what Will had said to her at the lake just yesterday. He caught on to what she said after a second, and he nearly laughed at himself. Making sure he didn't lose anything, Will jogged over to his friend and they continued walking back together.

"Hey Ben, I got a question."

"And I've an answer." A clever smirk played at her lips as she looked to him at her side. He only rolled his eyes and scoffed, though couldn't hide the grin that came to his lips from her come-back.

"Well, I coulda swore I heard 'Rouge' before." Ben's heart nearly stopped. Had Will actually heard of her family name? When she was in the castle with her master, she never used her last name. Not even Nottingham's men knew what it was. How could he have possibly known who- "Is it french? It sounds french. I don't know but it's been driving me crazy!"

"Um, w-well yes it's french. It means 'red'. My grandfather came to England from France when he was a little boy." She tried to keep her frightened stutter silent, hoping Will wouldn't hear it in her voice. A short but triumphant laugh erupted from Will and nearly made Ben topple over and spill her arm full from fear.

"_That's_ why I've heard it before! Some french ninny kept saying my last name in french, trying to attract my mother while we went to the market by making it sound more romantic. '_Écarlate! Zis iz juss like rouge, no_?' No, you moron, it's not." What Will said not only relaxed her and eased her tension, but made her bust into laughter. His mock of a french accent was fantastic! "I never knew what 'rouge' meant, but damn did he piss me off!" Ben just giggled more, shaking her head as she tried to imagine a young Will Scarlet death glaring at a French Nobleman.

"Well, I'm glad to have educated you some, my dear friend, but lets hurry up so that we can get this done before nightfall."

"Right, right. Onward to victory!" Will's voice echoed through the forest with the laughter of Ben soon following after.

* * *

><p>"So where are you wanting to put it up?" Will looked at Ben, who was already in an expression of contemplation, looking around the camp area around them. She twirled in a circle, looking at every inch of the little clearing they had. The perfect spot was what she was trying to find. Not too far away from everyone so that she can still be counted as a member, but away enough not to get caught with her bandages off. Kinda like where Will was at. It wasn't exactly close, but it was still visible and it was all his own space. Thinking about Will's hut, Ben's eyes traveled over to the little structure, hoping to gain ideas from it. A sigh escaped her lips, nothing was working. No ideas, no thoughts, not even a little hint as to-WAIT! As she looked away from Will's hut in frustration, her eyes came across a giant tree that had been pushed over and the roots, though still firmly implanted in the soil, were slightly protruding out not even ten feet from Will's place. It made a cute little burrow, and if Ben could at least build a small overhead protection, the burrow would be perfect. Quickly, and without a warning for Will, she dashed over to to the burrow to size it up.<p>

It was an absolutely huge tree, with a huge trunk, which only made the burrow more spacious. "Be careful Ben!" Will shouted behind her as he seen her start to descend into the little hallow. He rushed over, watching her slowing climb down under it, wondering what the hell had gotten into his friend. But when she slipped completely under, she saw such potential. The "roof" was far enough away from the bottom to allow her to crouch without hitting her head and no roots were in the way or hindering her movements. Dirt had washed completely out from the bottom tree itself from years of rain water, and the ground was somehow packed down perfectly, not allowing any bugs or animals through. The sides could still use a bit of packing, but that would easily be a half an hours work. There were no other holes in it besides the opening, and a few spaces between the roots near it, but those could be easily covered so that no rain got in. And since it was underground, it would keep her warm in the winter months and cool in the summer. Put some hay in there for a bed, as well as the opening covered, and it could be a home.

Excitement swelled within Ben, knowing this would be the most amazing hut of them all! Her head popped out of the opening, nearly startling Will. "Will, you have to come look at this!" Her smile was huge and lit up her face, making Will sigh in annoyance. He hated to get massively dirty..But how could he say 'no' to that smile. Damn it Ben... Running a hand through his hair, he slowly climbed down with Ben, praying that he wouldn't have to take another bath again. When he finally crouched down and saw inside, he was stunned. Surprisingly, even for a hovel in the ground, it was clean or at least so packed down it would be hard to get it all over your clothes. Must have been from all the rain they had gotten these last couple of years.

"See I can put hay all around and this could be where I sleep! And I can pack down the sides, or put up some cloth so that nothing gets in. And on the outside, I can make a little roof so that no rain can pour inside, kinda like a doorway!" Ben's voice was cracking again, Will could only assume that it was because of how excited 'he' was. With a shake of his head and a soft chuckle, Will patted his friend on the back, making her to turn around from mentally planning out her new home.

"Come on, then, if you want to live here any sooner, we better start now." Will started making his way out when Ben realized what her friend had said.

"_We_?" She said, a small smirk forming on her face. "I thought you didn't want to help me with this, and you were only gonna help me collect." He turned to her and rolled his eyes at the mischievous look that Ben had, chuckling under his breath.

"Yeah I guess," He shrugged. "Besides, I want my own hut back, so hurrying and getting this built will help me kick your sorry rear out faster." The careless and aloof tone in his voice, that she knew was just a joke, made her laugh softly. And that tiny sound of laughter made a shiver run up Will's spine. What the heck was that about, why did he react like that? "Well, hurry it up, will ya!" He didn't mean to snap, but his reaction caused Will slight discomfort. Luckily, when he glanced back at him quickly, Ben didn't seem at all offended. In fact, the smile that 'he' wore before still was there. Good, Will didn't want to make it awkward because of his feelings or what he said.

Both of them climbed out of the little hole, making their way over to the pile of wood and dried long grass they collected. It took only 4 hours before they had run out of wood, and their progress was good. Already a small 'doorway' was forming, with dried long grass covering any remaining holes as well as the top of the Burrow, making sure no further rain water gets in anymore. Definitely more grass was needed, and they would soon have to find cloth for a doorway so that Ben would have privacy. Will didn't understand the need for a 'door' since the Burrow was pretty dark and hard to see in anyway, but he just shrugged it off. Seemed to be the safest thing to do when it came to Ben. So many things were so strange about the newcomer, but Will didn't want to be rude and pry into the kid's life without Ben feeling ready to. Besides, he'd be a hypocrite to say that a door was pointless, since he himself had one.

When they had both declared that there was nothing else they could do for now, and it was getting dark, they headed over to the campfire to join the others. Of course, Ben sat in between Will and Wulf, her new favoured spot. Both the boys seemed to be happy about it too, since Ben had pretty much become their new best friend. The men chatted while they ate and drank, hardy laughter erupted quite a few times, and it was fairly relaxing. Somehow, even though everyone in their circle was some sort of outlaw, they were all care free. All so very happy even though they were away from home and family. It made Ben happy to know that, for once in a long time, she was far from alone. The time soon came for bed, and everyone separated into their own little huts, including Will and Ben.

"So, how long do you think it'll be before we finish it?" Again, like last night, Ben took off some of her clothing, making sure to keep her back to Will this time so she wouldn't have to see him nearly nude again. Pushing back the little voice that told her she wanted to though.

"Hard to say, we already made a good dent in the work already. It'll all depend on how easy it is to find supplies. Didn't see much long grass that was dried enough so there may be a bit of an issue. Also on how lazy were are." Will chuckled, remembering it took him awhile before he finally finished his own because he didn't want to do the work in the first place. When he turned, Ben was already stretched on 'his' side of the bed with a dreamy spaced off stare. "Hellooo?" He waved his hands in front of her face playfully. "Anybody there?" Ben blinked and came back to Earth, laughing and swatting his hand away.

"Sorry, was just thinking about today." Her dreamy stare seemed to have returned, though her attention seemed to still be on their conversation. Will slowly dropped down next to her, extending every part of his body in a stretch, letting his arms fall limply at his sides.

"What about today?" His weary eyes closed, soon realizing that his brain was starting to get fuzzy from being so tired. It's amazing how you don't really know how tired you are until you relax just a bit, then it comes full force.

"Well it's just..." Her voice trailed off into silence, and before Will could ask if she had fallen asleep, a gentle touch was on his left hand and Will's eyes shot open. Looking down, he saw Ben's hand laying on top of his own. Dear gawd, his skin was so soft! How was that even possible? Will looked up to Ben and saw that the deep green was penetrating his hazel green. With what little light the candle was shining, Will could see the small smile only faintly.

"Thank you, Will, for telling me. You didn't have to, but you did. And I thank you for trusting me with that. It means..a lot." Secretly Ben wished she could only be as truthful and trusting with him. The hand under her's turned slightly so that the tips of her fingers slid into his hand. A tiny squeeze, that's all he gave, and a nod then he moved his hands behind his head and closed his eyes again. "Good night, Will." She said quietly.

"Yeah, yeah, goodnight." He teased, and she fell asleep with a grin.

_**Memo:**__ Well this was a slightly depressing chapter huh? Now, to be honest, I have no idea what actually happened to Will's mother. It didn't say anything in the movie besides the Lord of Locksley leaving her because of Robin, and there's too many versions of Robin Hood to actually pinpoint what could have happened. So following the whole scenario of Will's life being "ruined" by Robin, I did this. Feel absolutely horrible too... But whats a good story without drama, no? I actually intend on posting pics of the Burrow soon cause i started to describe it and got so excited about it that I drew it, lol. I'll get it in the next chapter :) Well, R&R, Hope you all enjoyed it, and thank you sooo much for reading! :D xoxo_


	6. Just A Slip

Chapter 6: Just A Slip

Three days had passed since Will and Ben had begun building the Burrow, and they had finally finished. Though it probably should have been only two days work, Will's prediction of dried grass being hard to find was very true. What little grass they had found was not strong enough to hold any of the wood together or wasn't long enough in the slightest. It took them an entire day to finally find a good patch of it growing nearly a mile and a half away from camp. Ben wasn't sure why Will liked the gathering so much. To her it was so much more simpler to actually build it instead of collect all the supplies. It was so hard to find out here and since it had just become Spring, not a lot of grass was sprouting yet and all the old grass from the year before was too week to even support a leather shoe.

But they had finished it, and it was exactly as Ben had envisioned it. A small doorway was in front of the Burrow's little entrance, where she put her leather bag and extra clothes in. It was covered by an off red blanket, Will's idea as a funny pun to her last name. The Burrow inside was completely covered with hay and left over dried grass to make her sleeping area much more comfortable. It was everything that Ben had wanted, and as she and Will looked at their work that afternoon, they finally deemed it complete.

"Well, I must say, I thought you were pretty crazy when you told me you're idea," Will said, "But this looks pretty alright for a hole under a tree." He patted Ben on the back and they both smiled at each other.

"Yeah, I think we did pretty good as well." They both just stood there and admired it while until footsteps sounded behind them.

"I'll be buggered. Got it all done good and proper, eh?" John said, standing in between the two, placing a hand on both of their shoulders. The two of them just nodded, both grinning ear to ear. "Well, then, come to the camp. We've got a surprise for ya!" With a strong slap to both of their backs, John turned around and started walking to where the others were gathered. Ben looked around to watch John walk away, confusion setting into her soft facial features. She looked to Will, expecting him to be just as confused, but he had a knowing smile that only made Ben question even further what was going on. Will nodded his head towards the camp, and with a little hesitation, Ben followed him to the grouping of men she didn't noticed had gathered til now.

Smirks and hushed laughs came from them all as Ben and Will approached, even Wulf was trying to hold back the urge to smile that said he knew something was up. Her nerves were starting to jitter because she was never a person for surprises, especially now-a-days with all her secrets. When they finally found John again amongst the crowd, he was holding a giant jug. It was then that Ben noticed everyone around her was holding a sort of jug of their own.

"Gents, we have here a boy who's been alone for far too long. And with an interesting introduction-" The men chuckled hardily, "have come to meet a good man, or man soon to be. We are ready to truly welcome young Ben Rouge into our family. You've you're knights,-" The men cheered and laughed, "you're kingdom, and now you're own castle, mate. Welcome to freedom!" Again the men hollered, all raising their jugs along with John. Two jugs were passed to Ben and Will, and they raised their jugs with everyone else. Soon jugs were overturned to mouths and was chugging the mead-like drink, though Ben didn't take as much as the rest. She never was one for alcohol and this one was far too strong. Congratulations were given to her, along with hard swats on the back that she was barely able to stand with half of them.

"Like your surprise?" Will whispered to her from behind, making Ben turn and see the large grin on his face.

"You knew about this?" Will's grin grew wider, trying to look as innocent as he possibly could, which was failing.

"Well, maybe a little." He shrugged, laughing as Ben pushed him roughly enough to stagger. "I kind of told John we were almost done, and he kind of thought giving you this little party would make you feel even more at home. Sooo, we got all the boys together and decided to poison you with this nasty alcohol." Both of them burst into laughter, knowing that Will had noticed Ben's grimace as she took another swig from her jug.

"I'm not used to alcohol. I only really had wine in the Castle."

"Castle?" Was Ben a noble? It could be the reason why 'he' was so proper and cared a lot about manners and the like. Maybe-

"Yeah, I used to be a servant before I came out here. I had a little wine here and there when the other servants would bring it out from the seller and would celebrate a holiday or birthday. I could barely handle even that, though. The men would tease me about it cause I was such a light-weight and I would never grow hair on my chest if I didn't know how to drink." She took another drink, nearly coughing from the strength of it. "Though, tasting this, I don't think I'd mind so much." Will relaxed, he never really like spoiled pompous rich people. All they did was whine and want. Thank God that Ben wasn't like that, he'd have been depressed if Ben was nothing but a little rich brat.

"Nothing wrong with no hair. May get cold in the winter for ya, though." Ben erupted into laughter, nearly spitting out her mouthful of ale.

"You're horrible, William." She said, making sure to cover her mouth so not to embarrass herself.

"Hey now, no one calls me 'William' but my mum." She just rolled her eyes, though smiled at his attempt to stop her from using his full first name.

"You're lucky I don't know you're middle name." She teased, snickering as she seen a blush creep up on his face. Ben wasn't sure why, but getting him to blush, made her feel satisfied in more then just the teasing manner. A small yet curious thought popped into her head,were other girls able to make him blush like this? Then again, Ben wasn't meant to be a girl, was she? Damn, that's troublesome..

"And you shall never find out what it is, my friend." Will joked, getting Ben out of her thoughts and back to the real world. A smirk slid to her face as she finally registered what he had said.

"So you think, my dear, but we shall see. Oh we shall see." She could see Will was about to make some sort of smart ass come back when one of the men ran into the group shouting.

"John! John there is a group of people comin' through Sherwood! Looks like them's rich folk!" The entire flock of men all started to get excited, knowing that money was about to land in their pockets and food in their bellies. John quickly hushed everyone up though.

"QUIET YOU LOT! Emil, how many men were there?" Obviously John was curious about who would be foolish enough to travel through Sherwood, but anyone with eyes could also see the glint of mischief in his face. They had all gotten a taste of thrill and adrenaline in the thieving, and it was a somewhat addicting drug. Like the bitter burn of ale or the smell of a woman's hair. Just one hit and you're gone. Well at least close to it.

"'Bout four of 'em, see. Three guards wit' swords, and wot looks like a noble leadin' 'em!" The man kept pointing the direction he ran from, hoping they all would quickly grab their 'weapons' and would rush off before the travelers got away. Instead, all of them looked to John for what to do next.

"You heard 'em, lads, get your gear and let's go!" John grabbed his wooden staff leaning against a tree near him, holding it up as a sign for action. The men screamed in excitement, running off to their huts to grab what they need. Will and Ben looked to each other, nodding before they both started heading off towards their huts. But John had noticed this and was quick to stop them.

"Ah ah ah, Ben, you ain't comin' with us." Ben whirled around, insult all but defining her face.

"Beg pardon?" She hissed, making Will nearly flinch hearing it. It was low and had a hint of venom. Wow, 'he' had a VERY short fuse.. Kinda scary too, just the look coming from Ben's eyes were one of murder, or close to it if John didn't say the right words next. He didn't.

"Sorry, boy, but I'm not putting you in danger just cause you can rough up Bull and Much. They ain't soldiers like the ones Emil was talkin' 'bout." The men started gathering around the three as they waited for the others, and all were watching the scene with great interest.

"John, I can fight. I've been doing it for years, I'm not a child!" In the corners of her eyes, she saw Wulf carrying his own sort of weapon, which was only a small yet thick stick. He was letting WULF go but not her?

"Look, it's not up for debate, boy, you are not coming with us. Maybe with some training with the men you can later, but not today." With a serious expression, John turned away from her, leading the men out of camp and towards where Emil ran from. Rage welled up within Ben, watching his back trudge along with the others. Will shifted beside her, not sure if he should leave his friend like this or head out with John and the guys. It was a right hard choice, because he knew leaving would piss off Ben more, but staying would cause him to miss out on all the fun. Before he could make his choice though, Ben whirled around and grabbed one of the daggers strapped to Will's side. Without any second to aim, Ben hurled the knife toward John, barely missing his head by a few inches and hitting a tree that he was walking by. Everyone halted at the sound of the very loud **thud** from the knife as it made contact, looking towards it to see it was at least three inches deep. It took all he could to keep John's eyes in his sockets as he stared at Will's shiny are very sharpened blade.

"Do NOT turn your back on me, Johnathan Little!" Ben screamed, drawing all the eyes of every man in the camp. Her face was red with anger, and a few of them were sure they saw a vein or two popping out. "I WILL be going with you, and you WILL deal with it! I don't care how big you are and how easily you could pommel me, but you do not control me and I will do as I wish. Which means I am coming with, because I can help. Do I make myself clear?" Everyone was scared to move or speak until now. They all looked over at John, who was still pale from the initial attack. He hesitated for only a few seconds before he started nodding his head furiously.

"Yes, yup, let's go then. Ben, men, let's go!" Turning again to leave, not finding any problem as he did, which put the others at ease as they followed. Will looked over at Ben, seeing now that she was calm and had an accomplished smirk riddling her face.

"Well, aren't you the little demon from Hell?" Ben turned towards her friend, chuckling ever so slightly.

"What can I say, I may not have ever been a noble, but I knew how to get what I wanted in certain ways." She shrugged, walking over to the tree where Will's knife jutted out.

"And is throwing a murderous tantrum one of those ways?" Will joked, as he fell in step with Ben, heading over to his property. He was only glancing her way, waiting for a reply when he reached for the dagger to pull it out. Only it didn't come out as easily as he wanted it to. Instead, he had to tug on it twice with most of his weight before it finally came free with a tiny 'pop' sound and nearly sending him to the ground from lack of balance. Ben snickered under her breath watching him and his astonished expression as Will looked from his knife and back to her.

"Yes, it's one that I use very rarely. Any other time I pout and look like I'm about to cry." She said proudly, rushing off to her Burrow to quickly grab her bow and arrows. The young man stayed behind, still completely dumbfounded that a little boy like that could throw so hard. John was only lucky that it didn't hit his head, or it would look like a watermelon split open in two. Just the thought of it nearly made Will shutter. _Note to self_, he thought, _stay on Ben's good side_. Within seconds, Ben was back with Will again, and they both jogged to catch up with the boys.

* * *

><p>Emil's directions were dead on, estimating where the travelers would be with the pace they were going. You had to admit, for a man with no proper schooling and could barely tie anything without some sort of help, he was a good tracker. The men all hid in the leaves of the forest, blending in perfectly as they watched the Noble and his little party of guards make their way from Nottingham.<p>

"Most likely comin' from dinin' with the fabulous Sheriff himself." John whispered as they all huddled together. "Okay, lads, here's the plan. Everyone jump out, staves ready, and I'll demand the loot. Ready?" All of them whispered their agreement, excitement and adrenaline running through them.

"Wait," Ben whispered, "That's it?" Confusion was dripping from every word, and all of them nodding only made it worse. "How is that a plan?"

"That's 'ow we've always done it." Bull said from behind John, again everybody nodding. She nearly wanted to slap herself on the forehead for even considering they had better strategies. These weren't educated men, schooled in combat. They were farmers, shop keepers, and all the like. They didn't have the combat training she did, and what they do know is just survival. How they got this far was a miracle! Then again, she was only a group of one before and need strategies.

"Well, does it work?" Nodding. "Okay then, I guess there's strength in numbers, let's give it a go." They all waited again, until John made the first move. Jumping out of the forest's cover and onto the road, every single man circled the small group. The sudden movement riled the horses, nearly knocking two of the soldiers onto the ground, but they held fast to the reigns.

"Good evenin', my good sirs. How fairs your pockets today." John teased, a giant grin of pride on his face as the looks the party gave were of fear and uncertainty. The Noble could tell it wasn't going to end pretty. Numbers were just not on his side, no matter how skilled his guards were.

"Stand aside, criminal, before we run you through." Even though he knew the odds were against him, he tried to keep his cool and act as dignified and scary as possible. Maybe they were weak or cowardly like most men were compared to himself. Or so he hoped.

Unfortunately for him, Ben seen an opening she could not refuse. The three guards behind the noble all stood in a line together, which made a perfect pickpocket opportunity. She knew the helmets they wore took away their far perrifial view, so sneaking behind them would be easy. As silent as a mouse, even with the dried leaves on the ground, Ben made her way behind the first guard while John and the Noble chatted away at each other. None of the men that saw her gave away her position.

"Run us through, eh?" John teased some more, making sure his eyes didn't drift over to Ben too much, hinting her towards the soldiers she was deftly steeling from. With nimble hands, she undid the knots to the belts the guard's sword hung from. Slowly and softly, she lowered the sword, allowing Wulf who was behind her to take the weapons without notice. One by one she did this.

"Yes, without even a moment's thought." A second sword gone.

"I'd honestly like to see that." The third sword gone.

"So would I." The shakiness in his voice was hardly noticeable, but it didn't matter to the men how scared the Noble actually was, because Ben nodded and got back to her place in the ranks.

"Well, lads, go ahead. But-a one question? With what swords?" A huge grin spread over the giant man's face. A grin that caused the Noble to pale as he heard rustling and the clinking of metal behind him.

"Um, sir?" One of the guards said, causing his Lord to turn on his saddle. Seeing his men behind him, looking bewildered and completely void of any sort of weapon, he inwardly cursed. He knew he should have brought his sword with him... The woodsmen laughed at his plight, and laughing harder as the guards still looked around for their lost swords.

"So, you still gonna run us through then?" John joked, loving too much the situation they were in. "If you give us that big purse of coin, we'll give you safe passage through Sherwood." The Noble looked down at his leather pouch securely tied to his waist, a small sum of 50 gold pieces lay within it. But he knew these men would kill for one gold piece if they had the chance for it. It would not cause a hole in his pocket were he to hand it over...But if he didn't he was sure he would earn a hole in his anatomy. With a disgusted grunt, he tore the purse from his belt and tossed it to the supposed leader of the group.

"Much obliged." He held up the leather satchel in triumph, gaining a loud roar from the men.

"Now give us our swords and let us pass." The Noble said, not letting his dignity go with the purse, he held his chin up with as much pride as he could muster.

"What swords? I didn't see no swords." Ben said, getting everyone's attention from where she was at from behind the small band of travelers. "Did you see any swords on them, Wulf?" She asked the child next to her. He crossed his arms and rubbed his chin in consideration.

"Hmn, can't say that I did, Ben." They both shrugged with mischievous smirks on their faces.

"Huh, oh well. You're free to go though. Tatty-bye." She teased, crossing her arms just like Wulf's. A great _**HMPH**_ came from the Noble as he turned away from the disguised boy and the child, straightening himself out in his saddle.

"You'll not hear the last of me." He sputtered, kicking his horse in the sides to spurr the creature into a trot, followed by his cohorts close behind.

"Hope not, mate. We need more money!" Will shouted, causing everyone to laugh and cheer.

"Well, lads, we go home rich!" More cheers echoed the forest as every man made his way to the camp, singing joyous songs of heroes and victory.

* * *

><p>The return back was one of happiness. Already John had sent off three men to take the money and buy them as much food as the gold could buy, even thinking of buying some of the men some cloths for clothing seeing as how they had enough money left over. They didn't care they were rich men. Well, not rich, but less poor and eager to have more food in their bellies. Waiting for them to return though, the night was filled with makeshift music instruments and silly songs that got the men laughing and dancing. It was a good day for them, John was sure. Luck seemed to be turning around since young Ben came along.<p>

John watched the lad now, entirely happy that he had agreed to bring 'him' along. If Ben hadn't been a quick thinker and made away with those swords, John was sure those dandies would have actually made good with their threats and ran them over. He was definitely a good asset to have. Obviously he was good with weapons, what with the bow and knife and all, and today he showed a skillful use of pick-pocketing and sneaking about. Maybe John could send Ben into the village someday and see what the boy could grab out of people's pockets. Oh, that would be interesting indeed. Sending him at least once a week, never on the same day as the last so no one would think about it. Added to the money they make from the travelers, they may actually have their bellies full most of the time. It settled a weariness in himself that he's always had since people started collecting out here. Definitely a weight off his shoulders.

As everyone danced and sang, drank and laughed, Wulf walked over to his father who sat away from the group. The young boy knew his father was in high spirits for the food and supplies on it's way, and could tell easily with the large smile on his face. It was something to be thankful for, seeing his dad like this. Wulf could tell that his father always worried, even though he tried to hide it behind jokes and laughter. The facade never worked with him, he knew his father too well. But Wulf didn't want to worry him worse, so he always kept his knowledge to himself. He hated letting his dad worry so, but what could he do, he was just a boy?

"Hey, father, what are you doin' way back here? The party is over there!" The child pointed, hoping to get his dad in the revels for some sort of fun.

"Ah nothin', me boy. Just relaxing and watching the others. Besides, this victory goes more to Ben then anyone else." Both of them looked over to the gathering to see said 'boy' laughing at something Bull and Much were doing. It brought a smile to both of them.

"Ben did really well, huh?" Wulf asked, a proud smile on his face for his friend. A giant pat came to his back as John grinned down at his boy.

"Aye, that he did." Their eyes traveled once again to Ben, seeing 'him' quickly cover his eyes as Bull tried to show him why he was named 'Bull'.

"Yeah," Wulf chuckled, "She's really cool." With a quick smile to his dad, the boy trotted over to where Ben was, joining the fun. Did Wulf say '_She_'? What had he meant by that? John began to look at Ben more thoroughly now. True, the boy had fairly pale skin, but that could have been from a parent. John had heard of people being unnaturally fair no matter how much they were out in the sun. Ben also did have rather slim features, though the clothes hid most of the rest of his body. That could be because he had barely eaten anything for years, though. And his voice cracking so much could be- Oh what was he saying? Ben was a boy not yet become a man. Of course he had so much feminine aspects! Maybe Wulf just had a slip of the tongue. Yeah, that's it. Just a slip...

The party had died down near midnight and everyone was off to their little huts and homes. It was only Will and Ben that actually stayed up a wee bit longer than the others. Ben wasn't entirely sure why she was forcing herself to stay awake, even though fatigue was nearly making her fall asleep where she sat. She just enjoyed Will's company, and tonight would be the night she would start sleeping alone again. It wasn't strange for her to sleep alone, but in the short week that she had been staying with them, Ben had grown used to sleeping near someone. _Well it won't be that far, just a few feet and you're at Will's hut_, she assured herself as they sat near the dying fire.

"You were amazing, Ben, I didn't think someone could be that quite and not get caught. In the middle of the day!" Will ragged on, slightly tipsy from the ale jug he had nearly drained. Ben just chuckled at her friend, slightly shaking her head.

"Yeah, I used to sneak around the castle at ungodly hours of the night and I had to be quite because if I got caught I'd get a lashing from Hamilton, the head Butler. He hated doing it, but a proper la-er gentleman, even a servant, was not meant to stay up so late." She was so happy she caught herself in time, and also glad Will was only partially listening as he emptied the remaining alcohol.

"That mush have been fun." The man slurred, tossing the empty pitcher aside with a large belch. Giggling, Ben stood, sighing in defeat that both of them needed to go to bed.

"It was a ball, now come on you, let's get you to bed." She said, holding out a hand for her friend. Gladly grabbing it, Will was hoisted up with a grunt and both of them made their way to their homes. When they made it to Will's, he stopped outside the doorway with a strange look on his face. "You okay, Will?"

"Yeah, it's just.. You don't sleep here anymore." He stated, and it took a lot of control for Ben not to laugh.

"Just realized this now, huh?" She teased, crossing her arms with an upturned eyebrow.

"No, well yeah, but no I knew you weren't going to it just.. just now hit me, ya know?" She did know, all too well.

"Mhm, but don't worry okay, I'm barely ten feet away." Ben wasn't sure if she was just telling him or the both of them. Will nodded as he stared at his feet, letting her words sink in finally. A small twitch at the side of his lips gave him a tiny smile as he looked up from the ground and back to his friend.

"You're right, yeah. Well, okay then." A small chuckle escaped his lips. It somehow became awkward as one of them waited for the other to move away first. To be bold, Ben took the first step with a half wave to her Burrow. No words were said, both entirely unsure of what to say. But when she crawled into her little hovel and Will sprawled onto his bed, they both felt the absence.

"Goodnight Will." She whispered, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear her. But it's how they had fallen asleep each night, and it felt only right to say it.

"Goodnight Ben.." Will whispered as well, neither knowing what they had unwittedly said to each other. Both hating the lack of comfort from the other.

It was going to be a hard first few nights...

**Author's Note:** So I am TOTALLY sorry that it took me so long to bring out a new chapter! I had been having issues lately and it pretty much not only kept me away from writing but completely sapped my creative streak it was horrible! But we are good so far, so let's all hope it doesn't happen again and I can give you another chapter soon :D  
>But yeah, interesting chapter huh? Wulf accidentally let's John know that Ben could possibly be a girl! Le Gasp! At least John doesn't think much of it. And it's the first night alone for both Will and Ben after a week of being together. I had a lot of fun writing the theft scene, though, got to show the guys how kick butt Ben could be! Stick with me people, R&amp;R, thank you all so much for reading! Xoxoxoxox<br>**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Robin Hood character except Ben, and a few minor characters that don't show up much after one chapter, lol.

Btw here is a link to the pic of the Burrow I promised in the last chapter, it's only a sketch so use you imaginations to colour and have fun :D  
>.comart/The-Burrow-287963559


	7. More Than You Know

**Chapter 7: More Than You Know.**

Without anyone's notice, a month had flown by. Spring time was influencing everything around them. Where dead leaves and uncovered trees were, was now life filled plants and beautiful green sprouting everywhere. Flowers of all shapes and colours were erupting from the soils, basking in the light. Cool breezes, mixed with the warm sun, cheered the air drastically. Even the people seemed to have brightened up some more, especially the men and one hidden woman of Sherwood Forest.

Hope had seemed to bloom with the spring, as more money flowed in their pockets then it had in years. John's little thought seemed to resurface multiple times, Ben had come to be their good luck charm. Wherever she was, something good seemed to happen. But he couldn't help but also notice the little ticks young Ben seemed to have. Ever since Wulf accidentally said 'she' when speaking of Ben, John watched him a little closer. The boy had only said it once, but it was enough to get John's head thinking. There was nothing that told anyone that Ben wasn't a small little lad. But at the age of 15, a boy should have hit puberty and had been that way since, at least, 4 summers. Ben seemed to have only come close to it with his voice cracking, and his original voice was already soft and the low-ness of it seemed almost forced. Everyone thought it was because he just wanted to be treated like a man. And the fact barely any hair grew on him beside his head and his legs, and there it was thin and barely visible. Things seemed to be very suspicious with Ben, as well. He never talked of his family and what little history he did speak of was brief and with very little information. John knew everything about everyone. He knew most of them since they were but lads themselves. Besides Will, Ben was the only one John didn't know like the back of his hand.

Will, John could understand not knowing everything. He knew what he needed to know, and that made him content. But Ben was a mystery and it was one that he could not solve. It was driving him mad! He didn't even know what the boy was convicted of. Maybe he was fatherless like Will? Orphaned to Sherwood 'cause people didn't believe in marriage-less sex. Though John never understood that, tons of Nobles took mistresses, and many lads too drunk to think would pay for whores. But oh no, a woman comes along with a child with no married father and all of a sudden Hell has come in the wake of the Devil. Jeez what a bunch of tuss pots... But what could possibly be Ben's story? And why did Wulf say 'shes'?

That was the main issue causing John's sanity to slowly fade. Each day John notices something Ben does that seems too proper, too dignified for even a fancy rich boy. More like a princess after being scolded by the Lady-In-Waiting for years. The elegant movements of the body, the flourish of a hand, proper speech, it all could've been clues to a puzzle that all of them were refusing to put together. If they did, it would mean Ben was lying. And if he was, it had to have been for a reason. John could only hope that, if it was true, it would be a good one. But, without any real clues, John couldn't be sure that Ben was indeed a female. With only the words of a boy and his own paranoia, nothing was good enough to bring a concrete answer. So John just watched and prayed everything would stay as good as it has been.

* * *

><p>No sound. Nothing. Not the sound of wind in the trees, swaying the leaves in a dance. No birds calling out in beautiful song. All was still. All except a single stray turkey, one that lost the flock and was now sitting in a small clearing trying to find some sort of food amongst the grass. It was unaware of the world around it, nothing had happened to set it off. Everything was calm and it had made the turkey unknown of the two hunters in the bushes not even 25 feet away.<p>

Ben and Will had sat there for nearly an hour, waiting for some sort of animal to enter their line of view. They made no noise to give them away, though both of them were excited to see the bird make it's way to an easy hit spot. A bow and a singular arrow sat on Ben's lap since she was the only one of the two that know how to properly shoot one. She was no expert at it, but compared to the rest of the men who barely knew how to handle swords, she was the only one entitled to really hunt with one. Wulf was excited to learn how to use a bow and arrow though, saying it would help him hunt for deer and wild boar. Traps were useful, but it only had one life-span and was a hassle to make. With a bow, he believed it would take less time and he could use the arrows multiple times after. She had to admit, Wulf was a smart lad, and picking up the skills of a bow would be easy for him. So, she had promised to teach him after the hunt with Will. Seemed reasonable enough. Just needed to find something to kill first, and thanks to this turkey, they would have something to go home with.

Silently, Ben lifted the bow when she believed the turkey was completely comfortable. Drawing the string back slowly, so not to make the bow ache in the bend, she took aim. Breath slowed, time stilled, life quieted, and her fingers released the arrow. A swish sound penetrated the forest, and before the turkey could look to see where it came from, the arrow tore through it's heart, killing it quickly. Lifeless, it lay in the center where it had been standing, and after a few moments, Ben and Will stood to retrieve their kill.

"Ya know, I'm not sure if I should be impressed by your skill with a bow, or a little scared for my life." Will said, kneeling before the dead animal, watching Ben take out the arrow. Sheathing it back in the quiver, she took a string from one of her pouches and tied the legs together, leaving enough string for a hand to grab.

"I've heard that a lot. The soldiers that were employed by my Master taught me how to handle a bow when I was very young. They said it was a noble art, one of beauty and show of strength and prowess. It wasn't just about killing people in wars or a game, it was about survival, and learning the ways life is." Her expression was serene and calm, even after killing the turkey and talking about her past. With Will, it seemed to be easy to tell her story, though she was still careful about what information she told him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" A look of complete confusion written on his face. A soft chuckle, and Ben shook her head.

"It means," she stood, "That life can be giving or not. A bow is a perfect way to show that. An animal can be sitting still, not caring and you think you have the best shot. Then, it's the draw of luck. You can either be graced and hit the animal and have something to eat. Or somehow, the animal senses the danger and gets out of the way before the arrow hits. Life is all about luck and chances. Take you chance and shoot or chance to wait for another animal." Handing the dead turkey over to Will, she turned to leave towards camp, him following soon after.

"I think I get it. So are they the reason why you're so good at hunting?"

"Yes, they taught me enough so that if I were ever to get lost and be far away from home, I would not die of starvation. They were good to me, everyone in the castle was." Nostalgia was hard on her even with such little talk of the past, and memories of everyone's faces flooded into her mind. She knew them all, remembered them all. And she remembered seeing them all dead, dying, hurt, or taken away in iron shackles. It haunted her dreams every night, their faces and voices asking why she hadn't gotten there in time, why they had to die, why she couldn't protect them.

"Ben?" Her head whipped around to Will, who's face was contorted with concern.

"Yeah?"

"I've been trying to get your attention, you okay?" He had stopped walking, which in turn caused her to do the same.

"Um, yes I just-"

"Ben."

"What?" The tone of his voice was far too serious, and his expression made Ben feel as if she were a child being punished.

"Look enough skirting around this. I'm your friend Ben," Will dropped the turkey to the ground, coming up in front of her, "I want to help you. What's wrong?" Hazel green eyes stared into her vibrant emerald, and it was so hard for her. To stare into these eyes, these beautiful eyes of brown, gold and green, and know that she was going to lie. How could she not? If any of them knew who she really was, they would be in danger. Had the Sheriff or any of his men caught them, and they knew, it would be their life instead of just prison. Ben couldn't do that to them, especially not Will and Wulf... "Ben." Her name was called again, but was barely over a whisper. It was driving her mad. He wanted the truth, and she wished more than anything to tell him- "Please." Will begged, and it was her undoing.

"I remember every second of living there. I could tell you every nook and cranny in that entire castle with my eyes closed. And I remember everyone there, every servant, guard, guest, occupant. It's like I never left. But I know I did, that I have.. It hurts to be so far away from the only home I've ever truly had. Almost like a part of me is gone and a hole is replacing it. It's a living hell, Will." Tears were brimming at her lids and it was taking all of her control to make sure they did not spill. Even without acting as a boy, Ben hated crying in front of people. It made her feel weak and pathetic.

"Why can't you go back?" Will could see the pain in her eyes, the pure heartbreak. Ever since Ben joined them, he had always wondered why 'he' was out in the woods. What crime was committed? Was he hunting deer like Wulf? Had his Master done something horrible, or made him do something horrible?

"They were killed..." She did not tell him who killed them, nor did she tell him that it was she who was the so-called murderer. It was not a lie, but it wasn't telling all the details. That works, right? But Will felt miserable. Her family, or the people who were like Ben's family, were murdered. No wonder why she ran away and was in Sherwood! If whoever killed her master knew she was still alive, they'd try to kill 'him' too! The deep regret and sadness in her eyes struck him hard, somewhere deep and powerful. Without thinking, Will pulled her into his arms, not caring if he was being too mushy or that they were supposed to be men. It was supposed to show that he would be there, if ever Ben needed it.

It completely through her for a loop. Right now, she was in the arms of a man she only knew for a month, who made her blush with every long look, and was probably one of the only true friends she really has.. Her heart quickened and her brain was washed clean, making her unable to give any real thought. Stuttering like an idiot, she tried to figure out what exactly just happened. When she had grabbed his hand awhile ago, Ben thought that was the least likely thing to do to a man. But here Will was hugging her, as if it was the most meaningful yet common thing to do. Was it? Her Master and his Lady hugged her, the Cook hugged her, but they were elderly figures.

Noticing that Ben had yet to fully hug him back, merely putting her hands at his sides, Will pushed her away gently. The awkward look on her face was comical, like she was utterly unsure how to react with her eyebrows raised and mouth hung open. Will had to remember that it's been years since Ben had any real human contact besides thieving, even after all this time they had spent together. Though, it was very hard to suppress the giggling, even with his hand covering his mouth.

"Beg pardon, Will, I just-Um- I think I just, uh..." Cheeks turned red as a rose, hating that she was embarrassing herself with her inability to think. Of course, Will laughing didn't help her either, and only made her wish she was in her Burrow hiding.

"Sorry, Ben, but the look on your face, haha!" Soon he was clutching his stomach, laughing harder each second. Astonished by the man in front of her, she stared at him in utter shock. How rude! Frustration getting the best of her, she crossed her arms and glared at him. Which only made him fall to his knees, unable to stand the pain of laughing so hard.

"William, It's not that funny!" Her only response was more giggling. "Will!" Ben stomped her foot, acting as a child would throwing a tantrum. Will was now in tears. "That's it!" Without any regard of propriety like her Master's Lady had drilled into her head, she launched herself at the kneeling man, sending both of them to the forest ground. Tumbling over and over, it was a wrestling match that seemed to have no winner. When Ben was on top, Will would somehow overpower her, allowing him to gain the advantage. But the moment he did, Ben would somehow worm her way back on top. At first, Will was the only one laughing, but soon Ben couldn't help but laugh as she was rolling all over with him like a carriage wheel. It was surprisingly fun to act like this, especially with someone she cared about so much. In the end, it was Will on top of her, and both of them were breathing heavily with wisps of laughter.

"Admit it, I have won." Will heaved, smirking triumphantly down at his captive. Ben rolled her eyes, but laughed up at her friend.

"I will admit to nothing!" An acted tone of rebellion laced her voice, feigning a confident attitude. One of Will's light brunette brows raised in challenge, making her glare playfully up at him.

"Oh yeah? You sure about that, kid?" With the way he said it, teasing and menacing, Ben quickly began to panic and wish she wasn't underneath him. But before she could move away, Will grabbed her wrists in one hand pinning them above her head, and began to tickle her sides ruthlessly.

"NOOOoooo!" She squealed, not caring to hide her naturally high voice. How could she, after all? Her body was ticklish beyond all fairness. Squirming as hard as she could, Ben tried to break free of his hold. For such a short 22 year old, he was surprisingly very strong. Innards hurting from laughing too hard, she succumbed to the fact she was not getting away so easily.

"W-Will, pleeease! Don't! Hahaha, St-stop i-i-it!" But he didn't, in fact it almost became worse. Tears were falling down Ben's face from the pain of laughing far too hard. It almost made Will feel bad about it. Almost.

"Say that I won, and I will stop." He paused, letting her breath for just a moment. Ben inhaled deeply though, taking in as much as she could and hoped that the pain would soon pass. Internally she wanted to beat the living daylights out of Will, but that would come one she was able to breath again. When her breathing seemed to slow and she closed her eyes to rest, Will poked her in the stomach playfully. "Say it."

Green eyes opened with a smirk raised as she whispered, "Never."

His fingers found Ben's side once again, making her twist and turn underneath him. The pain of it all wasn't very much apparent, only able to feel Will's hand at her ribs, but it would come sooner or later. Ben was just hoping later. It seemed like hours before the tickling stopped, though minutes only passed. Like before, Ben inhaled as much air as she could, somehow not getting enough from all the laughter just a few seconds ago. But this time, when Ben looked up at Will, she saw that his face was contorted in worry and was not looking into her eyes. More towards her chest.

Gazing down to where her companion was staring at, Ben saw that her off white cotton shirt had come apart in the front where it tied up. In the exposure, the linen of her bandages were showing quite clearly for Will to see. Time seemed to slow down for Ben and so many questions ran through her head. Had she been caught? Will he ask why she had linen around her torso? What will happen to her when he knows? Will he tell the others? Would he-

"Have you hurt yourself?" Will's voice was nothing but pure concern over his friend. He hadn't seen Ben fall or get injured. Then again, though they both seemed inseparable, Ben had required private time on numerous occasions. Was this the result of one? "How the hell did you do-" Before he could reach down and figure out what had happened, with unnatural strength, Ben threw him off. Quick as a fawn in danger, she stood, clutching a hold of her shirt to cover herself. When Will was about to ask was the matter, the look she gave him nearly made his blood run cold. It was pure fear in her eyes. Nothing was covering it, no mask of calmness like she would usually feign. Terror had gripped her to the bone, and the only reason Will could think of was himself. "Ben, are you-" He stood and took a step near her, but she took a step back away from him. Will opened his mouth to say something reaching for her, only instead of just walking backward like before, Ben jerked back nearly sending her towards the ground. Had there not been a tree there, she would have been sprawled on the ground again.

"Please.." She whimpered, tears threatening to spill. "Don't.." It was only minutes before that she had asked the same of him earlier in laughter. Now, voice wavering from holding back sobs, she asked it again in terror. Had Will no sense at all, he would comfort his friend and not think anything of Ben's unneeded fear, but being a man easily paranoid his curiosity grew. This was just some normal injury, it must have been much worse. Had Ben possibly gotten into a sword fight? His brows began to furrow, voice growing deep and commanding.

"Ben, what have you done?" Something in her snapped. Ben had this said to her before, on _that_ night... Another step was taken by Will, and her eyes widened. The dormant side of her told her to run, run like she had that night when she saw everyone she loved dead. The memories flooded back, washing over the gates she had placed long ago in an attempt to forget it all. Smells of blood and decay, red blood covered her body, the glazed eyes of everyone, and the last dying gasps of her Master... Flashes upon flashes until she couldn't take any more. Her dreams had now come to her in the day.. With a shrill scream, Ben covered her eyes and fell to the ground, hoping it would take it all away and leave her in peace.

Will, however, was unsure what to do. Crouching next to the kid, he hesitantly placed his hand on her back. What in God's name just happened?

"Ben..?" He asked in a whisper, trying not to scare her again.

"I'm sorry." Ben squeaked, though she never looked at him. Will was about to ask why she was sorry, but her back started heaving and silent sobs were muffled by her hands. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Each time she said it, the louder it got, until the sobs had turned into full weeping. "I didn't mean to I'm so sorry." Somehow, listening to the hunched over Ben, Will knew she wasn't talking to him. She was talking to those who had died, those she had mentioned not long ago. It was his fault, he insisted inside his mind. If he hadn't pushed her so hard to tell 'his' secrets, then this would have never happened. Ben would have never remembered. Unable to think of anything better or any way to make it all right, Will just stayed there and let his friend cry. His mother once told him that no matter who you are, crying was not a weakness. Even kings cried, and they were meant to be tougher than anyone if they were to rule a country. So there they both sat there until the heavy tears slowed and soon came to a stop.

"Will.." Ben's voice was course and silent, "I'm sorry." Her head finally left her hands and red puffy eyes looked at him. "I didn't mean to.." She was unable to finish the sentence, but Will nodded his head with a weak smile. It was still unclear why Ben was bandaged, but he was sure that when the time came 'he' would reveal all the answers.

"Come one, it's time to go home Ben." Will stood, holding a hand down and waited. Ben looked at the calloused and dirty hand. Long ago, she would have squealed and ran away, afraid to be dirty and be scolded by the maids. Now, she looked at it with hope that everything was going to be alright. Tenderly grabbing hold, she was hoisted up, and she looked into Will's eyes. They still held questions, still very worried, but they also held understanding. That was enough for her for now.

After grabbing the turkey, the both of them slowly made their way back in silence.

* * *

><p>A high pitched scream, that would even make banshees run in terror, echoed back towards the camp making everyone stop what they were doing. Especially John and his son Wulf from chopping wood for fire. John looked around the forest, clutching onto the ax within his hand much more tightly.<p>

"Seems to be coming from the East or Northeast." Wulf's eyes grew wide when his father said this.

"Ben and Will went that way when they left to hunt!" Dropping the ax he held within his own hands, the boy began to run towards the forest without any sort of thought about where to go or where they could really be.

"Woah woah woah, boy! Steady there!" John had grabbed his son up by his collar, literally lifting him up into the air since he was still trying to run. "You don't know it's them and besides you don't even know if they stayed that course anyway. Hunting isn't all in just one direction, lad." Setting his boy down, John made sure he still held him down with one of his large powerful hands on his shoulder. Though he knew it was a pointless battle, Wulf grabbed at his fathers hand, attempting to free himself and save his friend. Somehow he know it was Ben's scream that rang through the forest. And just knowing that, and not why she did scream, scared him beyond belief.

"Let me go father-"

"Now, Wulf, listen here-"

"I have to save her, father!" Wulf did not know his mistake until his father's hand on his shoulder tightened and it almost began to hurt. No matter what he did, his father had never hurt him physically, so why now? Reliving what he had said nearly two seconds ago, Wulf paled at his ignorance. He had unwittedly given away his most important secret to his father.

"'Her'? Who is 'her'?" The boy refused to look at his father, just out into the forest, hoping Ben would come and somehow save him. Make up a lie for him and get this attention away from him from his father. But she never came, and the hand was pulling him towards the larger man. "Wulf Joseph Little, look at me right now." The edge in his voice was what drew Wulf's eyes to his elder's. And he instantly wished he hadn't. John's deep eyes had turned a deadly dark colour, and his face was more serious than it normally was. Wulf wanted to cry, he had betrayed his friend, lied to his father, and knew now was the time he would be paying for it. "You will tell me _everything_, this instant." And Wulf wished he only knew how much everything was going to destroy everything knew...

**MEMO:** Uh oh...I slightly hated writing this one cause there was so much sadness in it that it pained me. I love a good drama or tragedy in plays, but creating it is so much more harder then watching it. I want happiness but it all seems to go south, lol. But I know that soon it will all get better, or at least I hope so ;P But it seems that Wulf's slip ups have caught him up. I wonder what shall happen next *le gasp!* Oh! And just for those who wanted to see the Burrow from the link I posted, very sorry but i seemed to have forgot to put deviantart on it. Just copy/paste the link and put deviantart dot com in front of it, will you? Im actually hoping to draw a picture of Ben soon cause I can't help but want to show you all what she looks like in my head. I know you all have beautiful imaginations, but im a dork so I can't help it xD But if you're having issues with that I will be posting most of my pictures on my deviant art account _**OwletNight**_ so ill tell you when I've posted something and the title so it'll be easy to find :) Anywho! I hope you all enjoyed in and I shall get the next chapter up in coming soon :D R&R Please! xoxoxo

Oh PS: I completely threw a middle name in there for Wulf, I've no idea what it really is but I gave him a good "Christian"/common name for him since that day and age was based heavily around religion. Then again what age isn't anymore? lol.

**o0CrimsonsDragon0o:** Hehe i thank you very much for your kind words! And I seemed to have noticed that a lot of the Will stories are about Robin/Will loves or none of them are finished. I was so sad when I found that out and wanted to write my own :D Hopefully I can get more up soon! Again thank yoooou! xoxo


	8. Everything Becomes Clear

**Chapter 8: Everything Becomes Clear**

The silence of the journey back was calming and gave Ben time to think. Will had not persisted in his questioning about Ben's chest, and she was very grateful to him for that. But she knew that later he would ask, and she had no idea how to tell him. On one hand, it wouldn't be too horrible had one more person known of her true identity. On the other hand, one more person could mean the possible end of her and all she had come to care for. It was unlikely Will or Wulf would telling anyone without her permission, but Ben has seen the tortures and seen what they could do to those of strong will. Just thinking of it made her heart wretch.

Knowing the Sheriff as well, Ben knew that even if she would give herself in willingly to save the men of Sherwood, he would still take them all and kill them for keeping her alive. That man had no mercy at all, and she had witnessed that first hand. Just thinking of it now brought shivers crawling up her spine. Had that happened to any of them because of her, she would never forgive herself. Ben had already lost a family before to her carelessness, and she was not going to let that happen to another. She would make sure that her secret was safe, and with that, the men.

Smells of burning wood brought the hunters into reality and into the campsite of their home. Tonight they would have turkey with potatoes and bread. Not a lot, but enough to fill hungry stomachs til tomorrow. Ben had pushed aside her fears for now, thinking it best to figure this out in the solitude of her Burrow. Answers would have to wait for Will, because she needed a clear head to figure out a good enough lie so not to cause worry for anyone else. That was, until Ben noticed the group of men all gathered around the tiny figure of Wulf.

Hearing the approach of footsteps, the men looked up and Wulf, who had his back towards the two, turned to look at them. Seeing his friend come to the camp, Wulf couldn't help but let a few tears fall down, face twisted in shame. Ben knew that face all too well, for she wore it for a year after her Master was killed. Swallowing down the bile that threatened to rise with her fear, she breathed as slow as she could. Somehow they had caught on and had interrogated the poor lad, and the fear of loosing your father is much stronger then losing a friend. There was no hatred or sadness in Ben's expression as she walked closer, much to Wulf's relief. In fact, as they came upon the group, Ben put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, smiling weakly down at the child.

"What's going on here?" Will asked, breaking the silence between everyone. Til that moment, everyone's gaze had been cast upon the cross dresser. Especially John's. When Ben looked at him in return, she knew there was no choice to wait now. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now. Like Wulf, she didn't blame him at all. He had been lied to and he wanted to know why, especially after everything they had done for her. She just hoped that they would understand...

"I'm ready.." Ben said softly, now not caring to hide her voice at all. The softness of it made Will double-take his friend. Why did Ben sound like that? Why was everyone staring at 'him' like something was completely wrong? Will thought about the bandages wrapped around her chest, and concluded that must have been it. They must have seen them too somehow during the day and had asked Wulf about it when they left. With the way Wulf was carrying himself, depressed and sullen, he could only guess that it was he who saw it first. Wulf must have talked to the others about it without telling Ben, that must have been the reason why he looked so worried at Ben. In must be...

Everyone began to move towards a sitting point, though none of them took their eyes off of Ben. It was like they were making sure she didn't take a run for it and get away from them all. Quite pointless really, since she wouldn't be leaving her rucksack and her bow here. They were the last things she owned after all.

"Start from the beginning, and don't leave anything out girl." The way John said girl made Ben want to cringe. It was said with such venom and hate that she wasn't sure if she could look at him straight in the eye, for fear she may die with the contact.

"Haha, 'girl'? What are you talking about?" Will scoffed, "Ben's not a-" Before he could finish though, he looked over to his friend and saw that she wouldn't look him in the eye either. There was no laughter on her face, not even sadness, it was almost void of all emotion it seemed. "What..?"

"We're about to find out." John said, feeling pity for the poor lad. Will hasn't had many friends over the years, and none such as close as he allowed Ben to become. Of all of them, John was sure this was going to hurt him the worst. They waited for the girl to start, though she just stared at the ground, thinking of how to actually start it all. Finding somewhat right words for it, Ben looked up and sighed.

"My name is Benjamina Rouge. And I never truly lied to any of you-" Some of them laughed and some booed, but her soft voice grew in strength and boomed over them, "I didn't lie! I just never told any of you the whole story. I never said I was a boy, I just never corrected you when I did. And what I admittedly lied to you about, was for your own safety." This time they all stayed quite, unsure what she had meant by 'safety'.

"What do you mean by that?" John asked, apparently not afraid to speak out more then the others. He crossed his arms, leaning against his stave like her normally did, trying not to act as if any of this was affecting him like it really was. John was angry. He had been lied to and cheated out of good food. Sure Ben helped get a lot of that food, but she didn't need to lie to get it.

"I'll start from the beginning like you asked, or it will all confuse you even more.." She paused to take a breath to steady herself. She knew this would bring up strong emotions for her, but now was not the time to hide anymore. Didn't even have the choice. "My father and mother were merchants, low in the London caste system. They weren't rich, but they had what they needed to survive. And when I came, it was very hard on them since they didn't have enough to support us all. When I was 4, they left London and came to Nottingham where my father's old friend lived. He had promised them good work and a place for us three to live. Unfortunately, my father was never one to follow roads since they took too long. The road through Sherwood was not short enough, so father cut through a field that seemed barren enough. But it wasn't...

"A hunter in the court of Lord Erik Western had passed by the wreckage only hours later. Nothing was left but a broken wagon, two dead bodies and a child barely covered by a tattered blanket. He took me back to the castle, where I was to be raised by the servants there and make my life there. As the years went by, I was taught to cook, clean, sew and tend to the Lord Western and his wife Adelaide. But it didn't really end as you'd think it would. Somehow, I had gotten the attention of the Lord and his Lady, making me their favourite I guess you could say. Lady Adelaide taught me to be a proper young lady, embroidery, court etiquette, and music. Lord Erik though, never enjoyed the gender separation, and taught me to ride, hunt and to fence. Fencing was our favourite hobby, we would train every day for hours and end up on the floor laughing from exhaustion." She stopped, looking off into space with a ghost of a smile on her face as she recalled the memory. Something must have brought her back, for the smile faded and then her hands became very interesting to her.

"I, uh..I had grown attached to them, and I was a fool to do so. For in loving them, they had grown to love me as well. But their love for me caused them to hide from me the fact that the Sheriff had been giving them grief for some time. He had wanted their land so that he had more room for his people to hunt, but they had refused. Their family has lived there for hundreds of years, and they didn't intend to give it up so easily." Tears that had been held in for years were starting to spill, and everyone now could truly see the scared little girl that she was. It was a heartbreaking sight to see indeed, for the furious stern faces most of them had now turned soft with empathy.

"It was my 15th birthday, and we were all celebrating. It was grand and beautiful with so many presents and treats, I felt like a princess!" A sweet smile tried to work its way on her face, but the tears washed it away. "My birthday present from the Lord and his Lady was a ship, that was going to take us all over Europe after they had traveled to England to fully adopt me.. I was so happy, I was going to be a Western! They told me we were going to leave in a weak and would be gone til next year. Never being out of England, of course I was excited. The entire week I had done nothing but packed and counted the seconds. And when the day finally came, I was jumping off the walls. They told me to stay home while they left for London, but I was not patient enough for them to return. I took a pony from the stables and went riding out to calm my nerves, hoping the cool air would get my mind off it all.

"The meadow I had found was peaceful and beautiful. Of course, being the child that I was and the excitement that I had, I played til I literally passed out in the middle of it all." Ben's head fell down, a guilty expression on her face. "I didn't know how long I slept, it felt only a few minutes, but you know how sleep is. I quickly rode back to the castle, thinking we had missed the ship and they would be angry with me. But the gates were wide open when I arrived, which was far from normal. Entering the castle was like entering Hell... There was no sound at all. No voices and no music. And it was so dark, that I didn't even see.. See the blood that coated the walls, the floor, the roofs." There was a loud gasping from a few of the men, even John felt as if he should.

"It wasn't until I came to the main courtroom that I saw the bodies finally. There was none alive, and those who were, were just dying slowly. At the end of the room, where the Lord and Lady would have sat, I seen a group of men in armor standing near the thrones. Their coat of arms, I didn't know of, but they all surrounded it to where I couldn't see anything. When I finally got close enough, they must have heard my footsteps, for they parted so that I could see three people. One was a man I didn't know with black curly hair and a crooked nose-"

"Nottingham." Will spoke up for the first time since she started. He had furrowed brows and a stoic face, but his voice was soft. Ben was unsure if he was angry or not, since he wore that expression when he was focusing, which was a lot since he tended to space off. Ben only nodded to confirm him before she continued.

"The other two were the Lord and Lady. But they were barely alive... Adelaide was clutching her stomach, blood pouring everywhere and Erik was stapled to the throne with a sword. The Sheriff turned, a devilish grin on his face a said to me, 'My dear girl, what have you done?' I didn't think. I quickly ran up to them, begging them to be alright, to hurry so we can go to the ships and see Europe. The Lady reached out, gently stroking my cheek and the Lord was just smiling at me. Grabbing each other's hands they died... I, uh, Nottingham laughed, like one of those evil witches you hear about in stories. He said that I was a murderer for killing everyone in the castle. Of course, I wondered what he meant when I saw that the sword that was pinning Lord Erik was my fencing sword. Everyone that I cared for was lost, the only people I loved were dead and they were blaming me for it. 'Put her in shackles' Nottingham said and as they started coming towards me, I ran. The pack I had with me when I went to the meadow was the only thing I took with me into Sherwood along with my hunting bow...and I never went back..."

It was utterly quiet as she finished her story to them. No one was really sure how to respond to it. This girl in front of them was an accused murderer who had watched those she loved die. But John was still slightly fuzzy as to why she had lied to them.

"That's quite a story, lass," John said, making Ben internally laugh at his change of title for her, though the laughter never left her lips. "But why all the lies? Why not tell us? We could have kept you away from those high and mighties. Hell, we woulda done it gladly."

"Cause it was _her_ who was protecting _us_!" Wulf shouted, causing everyone's eyes to shift to the young boy. A defiant yet insistent look stared at his father, hoping that he could some how make it up to Ben for letting her secret out. His father looked away from Wulf to look back to the woman in question.

"This true, Ben?"

"Yes. If Nottingham were to know that you all helped me, you wouldn't just go to jail, you'd be killed along with me. The Sheriff knew I was young when they 'convicted' me, so still remaining young or at least the illusion of it would completely throw them off. Not to mention, they knew I was a girl, so me dressing like a boy would seem unexpected." Her voice was now growing stronger. It wasn't from confidence, in fact she had pretty much every intention to leave them all without a big commotion. Torches and pitchfork mobs did not sound appealing to her at all. In fact it was a rather scary thought, and she was grateful they didn't have pitchforks at the moment.

"See, father, she tried not to tell you because if any of you knew and told Rottingham, then we'd all be in trouble. She just didn't want anything bad to happen!" A large hand landed softly on Wulf's head, ruffling his hair roughly. John took his hand away, letting a smile ease onto his features.

"And how did _you_ find out, hmn?" The boy's face erupted into a massive blush, and he wished more then anything he was invisible.

"I, uh-Well I um..." Wulf couldn't finish it without blushing even harder, not really wanting to tell everyone he saw a girl naked. Personally, Wulf couldn't see what's so special about a female's body. It had way too many complicated parts and acted strangely during certain times.

"When he took me to the waterfall to bath the first day, he saw the bindings I had and asked about them. He's quite the little investigator. Boy wouldn't leave me alone til I told him." Ben said quickly, trying to divert the attention away from the poor kid. If they really knew what happened, she was sure he would never hear the end of it. A secret smile was sent to Wulf, and he felt a relieved sigh escape him.

"Bindings?" Will asked, coming forward as he heard the word.

"Yes, the linen wraps I bind my chest with so that my um..well chest isn't visible through my clothes." So that's what they were, Will thought. Ben wasn't hurt at all, she was just hiding being a _she_.

"Hehe, She's trying to hide her boobs." Bull said randomly with a dreamy smile on his face. Then his eyes grew wide, as if realizing something. "Wait, she's got boobs!" Everyone in the group either rolled their eyes or laughed at their dim witted friend, though Ben could only turn pink. Of all the things they could pay attention to, it was her bosoms...Men.

"Well Miss Rouge," John began, catching everyone's attention, "Do you still think it wise to stay here not that we know what lies beneath those baggy clothes and dirty face?" A slight of a smile was on his lips and his eyes had a twinkle of playfulness like always. Ben stared at him in pure astonishment, unsure if this was a trick or not. "We'll protect you as best we can, and we can make sure no one else finds out you're a girl. But I can't promise that we won't tease you for it at all." His smile now a huge grin, John walked over to the woman and laid both his hand on her shoulders. "You're part of this family after all." Tears welled up in Ben and she lunged into his arms, squeezing him tightly. John hugged back, laughing at the strength of such a tiny slip of a girl. Another pair of arms circled the two, and the elder man looked down at his son who was holding onto Ben from the side. She laughed, letting go of john to hug Wulf back.

"Alright everyone, nothin' to see here! Move along!" John yelled, winking one last time to the two before he walked off with the others. As everyone walked away, Wulf tugged at Ben's sleeve.

"I'm so sorry Ben! I didn't mean to! I just-"

"I know Wulf, I'm not mad. In fact i'm happy you kept it for as long as you did. Beside," She ruffled his hair playfully, "They needed to know at some point. And it didn't go so bad, right? In fact, I think it went very well." To prove to him that it was alright, she smiled widely down at him. There was still a little bit of doubt in his eyes, but he nodded his head forcing a smile to his own face. "Hey, buck up buddy. How am I gonna teach you to use a bow and arrow if you're all down and such?" Instantly his smile grew within seconds, and it made Ben giggle. For some reason, Ben felt eyes on her. Looking up, she saw Will staring at her with that same focused look as before while he leaned up again one of the trees. Seeing that Ben had noticed his attention, he turned leaving towards his hut.

"Wulf, I'll catch up to you later, sweetie. I have to talk to someone." Wulf's gaze followed hers, and nodded with a small smile on his face. Ben had told him before how Will had made her blush constantly, especially for his lack of modesty in his hut. He may have been young, but he could see the crush she was forming for Scarlet. "Thank you!" With a gentle kiss to his forehead, Ben released her arms from him and started to jog over to catch up with her quarry.

"Will! Will please wait!" It was hard to comply with what she was asking. All Will wanted to do was just keep walking. Blow off some steam. But here Ben was, chasing after him and asking him to stop. Brilliant. "Will I-"

"I don't know what you want from me, Ben." He didn't mean for his voice to sound as harsh as it did, but being pissed off wasn't exactly helping him.

"I want you to stop walking away from me!" Ben was about to reach out to grab his arm, but Will whirled around, facing her swiftly. She nearly fell over, unable to stop as fall and almost crashing into him.

"There, I stopped. Happy?" The anger in his voice crawled over her skin and into her being, making her shrink back in shame. The hazel green of his eyes were dark and almost looked black brown had the light of the sun coming through the trees not illuminated them.

"Y-yes. Will, I'm sorry. I wish I could have told you, but I didn't want to get you hurt-"

"Yes, 'cause lying to me is so much better." Crossing his arms, Will paced back and forth. Hoping that it would satisfy his need to walk, even just a little bit.

"I know that's what it looks like, but Will if any of Nottingham's men got a hold of you knowing that I was with you, they'd-"

"Yeah yeah, put me to the chopping block." He finished, starting to get even more angry that his pacing wasn't helping him at all.

"Exactly, so Will if you could just-"

"Look, I don't have time for-"

"Will you just shut up and listen to me!" She yelled, not caring anymore to take the calm quite, lady-like route. If learning anything from living in Sherwood, especially living with all these men: Manners only go so far, then it's assertiveness. And her assertion definitely got Will to quiet down and look at her surprised. Ben never got angry. Frustrated sure, especially when fishing, but she never yelled. The only time she ever did was the first time they met her and the first day they did a heist together. Since then, she was always the quiet one with little to say and just had a naturally soft voice.

"I know it's hard to take that I lied to you, and I know it's not exactly easy to forgive me. But you are just going to have to deal with the fact that I am a girl and that I didn't tell you to save your behind from torture and death." Nails digging into her palm as a frustration/anger habit, she stared at Will unrelenting. She could understand him not being happy with her, she was ready for that since John confronted her. But to interrupt her? Oh, that was a different story entirely.

Ben was right, of course. Will was going to have to deal with it all. And to be honest, he wasn't really having an issue with it. He would probably forgive her once his mind was completely clear. But the fact is that she couldn't trust him, Will Scarlet, the man she was with nearly every minute of every day, but she could trust Wulf...a kid... A sigh of exasperation escaped him. Running a hand through his light brown hair, Will looked at the forest around him. Will could blame Ben though for trusting Wulf. He was a really good kid, very loyal, and did his best to keep up with the others trying to prove he wasn't just a child. And he was pretty smart too, Will wouldn't have been surprised if Wulf caught on the first day. But that just made Will feel even worse. Looking back, thinking of all the clues, he should have known too.

Finally, Will looked over to Ben, seeing that she too hand calmed down. Her eyes, green and full of hope, looked at him pleadingly. "I know." He said earnestly, taking a step towards her so that there was only one foot between them. Then again, he didn't acknowledge the space between them, only Ben did. And when he looked down at her, she could feel a blush creep to her face. It seemed easy for her to blush, and it sucked.

"I'm sorry, okay? But I just don't..." He sighed again, unsure of how to approach it. "I just need time to let this settle. Ya know?" She nodded, an expression of concern on her face. "I'm fine, but it's a lot to take in with such little time."

"Oh, yes, well..Okay then." Mentally slapping herself for not coming up with a better reply then that, Ben looked to the ground in hopes to hide the blush that was becoming more red by the second. Fortunately, Will didn't seem to noticed as he nodded his own head, turning around to finish walking to his hut. The rest of the day, though everyone acted their normally goofy selves, Ben sat in silence. She was grateful that none of them brought out the fact she was a woman, or asked more about her past, but she would get the occasional joke about the burden of breasts and having to sit down to pee. Honestly, they were all grown men and they acted like children..

But what bothered Ben the most was the fact Will had yet to come out of his hut. It was around noon or a little passed that when she had told everyone of her gender and now it was near 10, at least. He hadn't eaten, come out to drink something, or even to relieve his bladder (which worried Ben a little more then she should worry about someone). It was driving her insane, the least he could do was come out to eat! But he needed time, and she would give him that. He deserved that, not matter how much she wanted to talk to him.

She'd just have to wait..

**MEMO**: Sorry that this one is so short guys, I'm having a writer's block lately cause my brain hates me, lol. But just so you all know, I'm not exactly sure how adoption worked back then so I'm kinda just winging it really. I've an idea how it'll work later on in the story so just bare with me :) Review please! Thank you all! xoxoxoxoxox


	9. What A Dope

**Chapter 9: What A Dope.**

An arrow hit the third ring of a target that was hand drawn on a tree with a loud _**THUD**_. "Well done, Wulf!" Barely 10 yards away stood the young boy and Ben. He held her bow in the stance of an archer, slowly dropping it to his side once he saw where his arrow had landed. Though Ben was full of excitement, Wulf shoulders slouched in disappointment.

"Ben, we've been doing this for hours and I've yet to hit the middle." She nearly wanted to fall over in laughter. Leave it to a kid to expect everything to be easy as snapping your fingers. Then again, Ben couldn't snap, so that was a biased opinion... She still chuckled though, looking at the arrow sticking out of the tree.

"You should be excited, Wulf! It took me a year just to hit the outer ring and you've hit it in but a few hours of practice. You're a natural!" Her words seemed to have worked, because he glanced up at his target, a small smile forming onto his lips. "Want to try another shot?" Wulf nodded enthusiastically at her, faith in himself seemingly restored. With a chuckling shake of her head, Ben handed him another arrow from the quiver laying on the ground. Grabbing it, Wulf notched the arrow, raising the bow to aim again.

"Wait," He looked at her confused at her interruption, "Which is you dominate eye?"

"My what?" Ben wanted to slap herself for expecting him to know exactly what she was talking about. She should have remembered the first time it was asked of her, she reacted the same way as Wulf had. Utterly baffled. Not to mention she wasn't sure a lot of these men that lived with them even knew which end of the sword to hold.

"Sorry, I meant which one of you're eyes is more...Um...Okay let's do this; hold our your finger in front of your face, kind of like you're about to shush someone." Hesitantly, he followed her instruction, still not quite sure what this was all about. Dominant eye? What was that, some sort of illness? Sounded pretty bad, and Wulf was sure he didn't want to get it. "Now see how your finger is directly centered in you view?" He nodded as he stared at his tiny finger. "Close one eye at a time, and tell me which eye makes your finger move without moving your hand." He did as she told, closing his left eye first, then his right. As his right closed, Wulf noticed his finger seemed to move over to the right though he knew he never moved. Totally taken by surprise, his gaze shifted to Ben's in a start. Of course, Ben had to quickly cover her mouth to stop the laughter. This boy was far too cute for his own good.

"So I'm guessing it moved when you closed you're right eye? That means you're right eye is dominate over the other. I should have guessed as much though with the stance you take up when you get ready to fire. You write with you right hand, don't you?" A blush crept over Wulf's face, lowering his eyes in shame so he wouldn't have to look at her directly in the eye.

"I don't know how to write." He confessed, though Ben wasn't entirely surprised. Most children of the lower class weren't able to read or write unless their parents knew or they were able to get some sort of schooling or tutor. The only reason she knew was because Lady Adelaide was adamant on teaching her everything a proper lady would know, including writing calligraphy as well as reading in both English and Latin. Though she learned much, it was far from easy and sometimes 'fun' wasn't a word to describe it.

"No worries," She smiled at his as he finally got the courage to look at her, "Just another thing I can teach you then." Wulf's face seemed to have lit up brighter then the sun, and it made Ben feel proud of herself. She knew she wasn't just teaching him these things to be nice, Ben actually wanted to teach him. Something about him just made her yearn to show him nearly everything she knew. Though she knew that her skill with fencing would take time to teach, as well as the need of swords, but she was determined to somehow teach that to him too. If she had to find sticks that would work, she'd use them! It must be the older sister thing she was starting to develop with him.

"So anyway, when you aim, instead of keeping both eyes open, maybe try to close your left eye so that your view isn't meddled with." Once again Wulf followed what his friend his said, noticing that the target, once his eye was closed, moved as well. Seeing where his arrow was pointed when he aimed without closing his eyes, Wulf could understand why he had missed so many times. Taking a breath to steady himself, he let the arrow slip through his fingers. _**THUMP!**_ It had hit the edge of the center.

"See! I told you that you could do it Wulf!" This time the boy agreed with her, a broad smile on his face. "Just wait and see, you'll be the best hunter in all of Sherwood. Well, besides me, of course." A playful wink was sent his way, making Wulf laugh.

"Thank you, Ben!" He hugged her tightly, which she returned happily.

"Thank you, Wulf." She said quietly, more to herself, though he heard it too. Looking up to her, he noticed that her expression was an almost far off dazed look.

"Thanks for what?"

"For being here for me, all this time. No matter what has happened, you were there for me. When I first came here, when you found out I was a girl, when I was attacked by that wild pig and was chased around the entire campsite-" Both of them giggled as they remembered her running barely 5 feet ahead of an enraged pig. "And now with everyone knowing of who I am, you're still here. Keeping my mind off of everything."

"You mean Will?" Somehow, hearing his name jump-started Ben's heart. And she could only pray Wulf didn't hear it, because she was sure the thumping of each beat was loud enough. Slowly, Ben nodded, letting go of her friend to walk over and sit down on a rock right on the bank of the lake.

"Though I was scared of what everyone would think when they knew I was a woman, it was Will I was most afraid of. Him and you are the closest friends I have had in nearly six years, and knowing that I could lose one of you scares me to death." Wulf had joined her at the rocks, sitting on a tiny one close to her. "I understand his being mad at me but... It's only been a day and I'm falling apart with worry that he'll hate me forever."

Wulf could see the fear in her eyes. It was well hidden in her expression, she was a master at hiding her feelings with a mask of carelessness. But it was her eyes that gave her away. 'The eyes are the windows to your soul.' Wulf wasn't sure who said it or where he heard it but every time he looked into Ben's eyes, he remembered the saying. Extending his hand, he touched Ben's shoulder in a manner of comfort, drawing her gaze to him and away from the lake she was staring at.

"Don't worry, Ben. Will could never hate you. You're like his best friend!" There was no real affect of his word on her face, and when she looked away he couldn't see it in her eyes either. This worried him on his ability of being a friend. Ben was always able to cheer him up, what kind of friend was he if he couldn't make his friend happy? "He just needs to think it over. Will's never been one to trust people easily or make friends. He'll come around once it hits him that you're an amazing friend and how much he misses you. So don't worry about Will." Wulf put on his best smile, hoping that would at least get her in a slightly better mood. But the only thing Ben seen was a boy forcing a huge smile to big for his young face, showing teeth that desperately needed brushed, and it made her laugh heartily.

"Okay, I'll try and push Will out of my mind for you." A graceful smile was on her lips as she winked down at her friend, and he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. "Come on, lets shoot a few more shots before we head back." Getting up, they walked back over to their makeshift shooting range. As Wulf was about to draw the bow, the cracking of sticks and dried leaves interrupted them. When they turned around to see their visitor, the face of Will Scarlet looked back at them.

"Will.." Ben muttered. _Well, so much for trying to not think about him_, she thought to herself, self-consciously pushing her hair behind her ears. It was kind of pointless since she didn't have much hair to do so with, but a nervous habit was hard to break.

"Hey.." He said back to her, giving a nod to Wulf with a small smile. It turned into an awkward quiet after, both of them just staring at each other, unsure of what to say and who should start first. Luckily, Wulf was the saint and broke the silence.

"Oh, look at that, I think I heard father call me. Talk to you guys later!" Grabbing the arrows and Ben's bow, he walked away from both of them and towards the camp, leaving them alone. Though part of her was thankful that he gave them time to themselves to speak, the other part wished more then anything that he would stay and be her anchor. But when Wulf was far enough away out of earshot, Will looked at her, facial expression very serious which made her even more nervous.

"Look, Will, I'm-"

"I forgive you." Nothing faltered in his voice. He never looked away from her. Heck, he didn't even blink. His stoic face held no emotion, and it made Ben unsure of how to proceed. Irked at his interruption yet utterly confused was not a good combination of feelings and it made her brain slow down to a snail's pace.

"Um-uh..What?" It must have been the way she said it, or the way her face contorted as she thought of what he said, but Will laughed. Actually laughed, and the serious facade he held crumbled. She was happy that he didn't look so angry, but Ben was still lost. "You..You-uh forgive me?"

"Yeah. Took me all night to really think about what happened. Well, actually that's a lie, I pretty much forgave you the moment I stepped inside my hut." His teasing smile plus what he just said sent Ben into an absolute stupor.

"Wait, so.. Why didn't you come out then? Why didn't you talk to me? I was worried sick!" Her voice cracked into numerous high notes, making Will realize that when she did that in her guise as a boy, it was actually what she naturally did. No wonder why it didn't seem fake at all.

"It was your punishment." He gave her a playful wink that turned her face into a light shade of pink. And that must have been why she blushed so much, wow knowing she was a girl was explaining a lot to him.

"Punishment?" Seeing his smirk made Ben realize he was messing with her, though she was still sure the blush was on her cheeks.

"Yup, you're punishment for not telling me. Mwahaha!" His over dramatic evil laughter made her roll her eyes, a small smile at her lips. Leave it to Will to act the fool in a serious conversation. "I am very evil, yes?" Ben crossed her arms, tilting her hip to one side to give him the full condescending look. It apparently didn't work to her favour though, because when he smiled widely, she couldn't help but smile as well. It seemed that the man in front of her had contagious smiles. Drat.

"Oh yes, sooo evil! Even more evil then the malicious Rottingham." The woman said, intentionally using Will's nickname for the sheriff to cause an even larger grin on him.

"Ha! I knew it all along!" Both of them shared a laugh together, and it eased both of them from Will's nervousness to talk to her and Ben's fear. Their time apart was hell on both sides. Ben was in a constant state of worry, while Will just missed spending time with her. Of course, neither of them would admit that they had missed the other. Even though Ben wasn't a boy anymore, Will was now even more paranoid of what was or wasn't proper seeing as she was a lady and one used to propriety and manners. Somehow he knew he should have listened to his mother when she was trying to teach him something of manners and how to court a lady. Then again, at the time, he thought girls were gross, annoying, babbling brats. Boy had he wished he listened now instead of trying to shoot squirrels with a slingshot.

It became quiet after a bit though, both of them smiling at each other. The silence wasn't awkward like some would think. It was a quiet of understanding, one that said 'i missed you' without saying one word. Ben was unsure how to truly thank him for forgiving her though. The first thing that came to her mind was a hug, but she wasn't positive if he would accept it. But staring into his hazel green eyes, Ben decided. Throwing caution and fear to the wind, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly.

It would have been an understatement to say that Will was surprised that Ben was hugging him. At first he thought she was just going to tackle him for his teasing. But here she was, holding onto him and he wasn't sure what to do. Well, of course he could hug her back, that was the simple answer. But somehow, this seemed much deeper to Will. That and he didn't think he could move his arms if he wanted to.

"Thank you." Ben whispered into his neck. By some miracle, those words had magic in them, because Will's immovable arms slowly embraced Ben's tiny torso. It was loose at first, until his brain finally caught on to what was happening, and then he held her just as tight as she was. Silence enveloped them both again, and like before they relished in it. That was until Will finally remembered what he was actually doing there.

"Oh God! I completely forgot!" He exclaimed, pulling Ben out of his arms to look her in the eyes. "John sent me here to tell you we are heading down to the river, Bull had spotted some people coming in through the forest."

"What?" She blinked at him a few times. "You came down here just for that?" The hurt in her voice was undeniable, and Will could almost feel it pierce him like an arrow. Wrong move, Will, wrong move. Of course that was gonna hurt her, knowing that forgiving her wasn't his real reason to come fetch her.

"Actually, I volunteered to come down, he was originally going to send Wallace. Ya know, that one guy with the gimpy leg. But I thought this would be a good time to talk about yesterday with you, so I said I'd go." His answer seemed to have satisfied her, thinking it a logical and strategic action. Thank God she was an understanding woman. If there was one thing Will _did_ learn from his mother, was that if you don't add all the details, they make up their own...and it was never a pretty sight when they did.

"Oh, well then shall we go?" Will smiled as he turned around, but did not walk. Instead, he held out his arm for her.

"Shall we, mi'lady?" He adopted the voice of a rich pompous English lord, and Ben giggled loudly as she grabbed a hold of his arm.

"Indeed we shall, my good sir." She said, same aristocratic accent that he had, though her grin never left her lips. With a nod and small chuckles, they made their way to the river where Will had told John he would meet them at.

* * *

><p>They had arrived barely a few moments after John and the men had. All of them carrying some sort of weapon or other. Ben felt naked when she looked at them, Wulf had taken her bow and set it in her Burrow so she was weaponless. Will had promised her that she needn't worry about having weapons as they came down, saying that his and her job was to watch the rope Bull and Much had set up. Ben hated feeling useless, but she knew that not every job she would be able to do something, and this will have have been one of those times.<p>

"Okay Will and Ben, the rope is just over there," He pointed to a bush colony just a few paces away, "And everyone hide out of sight. These tusspots want to venture through our forests, so we're going to show them what happens when they don't pay a toll!" His voice raised as it came to the end of his sentence, making everyone else excited for the money to come.

"How many are there?" Ben spoke up, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Bout three." Bull said, having been the one to spot them. "All on horses, though an old man and a painted man on one while the other sat on his own horse." He seemed to feel very proud at the fact he had spotted them first, not afraid to show it either. Wulf's eyes seemed to grow wide as he listened to what Bull had said. It didn't go unnoticed by Ben, but she decided to wait til later to ask him why he suddenly looked like a deer caught by a hunter. Nodding at the men, she and Will made their way to the rope while the others looked for good places to hide.

"So, what happens if they don't come to the river?" Ben asked, genuinely wondering. She had always been taught to let your opponent come to you, but that was mostly in battle. And her stealing from the travelers was easy enough to let them come since she just waited on the road. But in this wide forest, of all the spots they could go to on the river or lakes, why this spot? It wasn't rational.

"Well, this is really the only shallow part of the river without getting your fanny covered in water from slippin' on moss covered rocks and such. So if they want to cross, here's where it's gonna be. May not exactly work out the way we want, but hey, one can hope right? Besides, if they want something to eat, we can be the kind naughty deviants that we are and send them into the river for some fishin'." Will smiled up at her, hoping to get a laugh from his joke, though she just rolled her eyes, trying to hide her smile. Didn't work well, and Will chuckled at her attempt.

_ It was so comforting to be with Will again_, she thought as he turned around to grab a hold of the rope that was loosely tied to the tree. It was hell without him, no jokes, no laughter, no secret smiles that made her smile just because. It wasn't til he refused to talk to her that Ben realized she had grown dependent on her friends. Not because she needed them for money, entertainment or food, but because she had grown to care for them so much. Being alone was so hard for her all those years. Yeah, sure, she could act like it didn't matter to her, but in truth it did. Knowing that she would wake up and not be in her bed with those she loved in the castle being right outside the door. She was never alone then. Even if Adelaide and Erik were off doing something, the servants and guards were always there. Now she was surrounded again after years of solitude, with two of the best friends she could ever have and she didn't want to lose them ever.

"Hey Will?" She suddenly asked, just now realizing something.

"Yup?" He replied, though he didn't look at her, trying to get the rope to slide on a branch for some odd reason.

"What did Bull mean by 'A painted man'?"

"You never heard of the painted men we are having a war with?" Will looked over his shoulder at her, actually surprised. He could have sworn that everybody knew about the crusade with the Arabs. It was the only reason why their King was gone.

"Well, I knew about the war, but Erik and Adelaide refused to inform me about it at all when I lived with them. They said that war is the work of great evil, no matter what side you're on. Especially since they believed it was unforgivable to press your religion upon someone else." She played with a leaf that was close to her face, getting comfortable on the ground as best she could. "But I never heard of painted men. Do they actually paint themselves?" If he didn't know she probably would've beat him with a log, Will would have laughed at her ignorance. It was cute in a way. But being raised by people like that, who actually had morals, he could understand why she didn't know more about the war then what she needed to know.

"No, they're called painted because their skin is a darker colour then ours. My mum said that where they live is a place that is not covered from the sun except the houses they build, so their skin has changed so that they do not become harmed from it. I'm not really sure if that's the reason they are coloured or if it's because God has made them that way, but it sounds like a reasonable idea. A lot better then the God theory anyway." The way he had such scorn in his voice when saying the last sentence, Ben wondered if he did not believe in God.

"Will?"

"Hmn?" He was now watching the river intently, looking on the other side of the shore for any movement what so ever.

"Do you not believe in God?" It was blunt and to the point, but their was no soft way to ask it. And it must have taken him by surprise, because he looked back at Ben with a shocked expression.

"Well aren't you full of questions today?" From the playful sarcasm, she could tell he wasn't angry with her asking. But he was definitely unsure how to exactly answer this.

"Um, well yes and no." When he glanced back at her, her brows were raised in confusion. "Well, I want there to be someone there for me always, that loves and watches over me, ya know? It's not really a bad thing and I feel secure when thinking about that." She nodded when he paused, hoping that will make him continue. "But.. How can all these bad things happen if he loves us so much? If he really is our father, then why does he hate us this much to allow all this to happen? It just doesn't make sense.." His slow and considering voice echoed inside of her. She was not upset with his answer, it was an understandable reason to be doubtful, she had felt that once too. But it took her time and self awareness to come to terms that this just happens. Everything was for a reason, no matter how bad it was. Even though Ben wanted to tell him how she felt, she knew she couldn't. Wouldn't. You learn nothing if the answers are given to you or when you don't make mistakes. Will will come to terms with everything when he is ready, not when others deem him ready. With a simple nod, Ben looked out to the river with Will and watched.

Before long, she was about ready to give up. They had been here for nearly 2 hours with nothing to show for their wait besides 4 deer, two rabbits and countless birds, fish, and toads. About to say something to Will, voices were heard in the forest, though mumbled from the distance. Ben looked around them, knowing that none of the men would willingly give away their position, so she looked out to the river once again. Soon, two horses carrying riders came into view.

Like Bull had said, there were three of them. From what she could see, they were all well armored, which slightly worried her. Even though they were massively outnumbered, if they were to see that the only real weapons any of the men had were sticks, they might still attack. The man who rode alone on a horse jumped down, walking towards the middle of the river, stepping on the stones that jutted from the shallow water. Farther and farther in he went, Ben could feel the excitement radiating from Will, unable to wait for the perfect moment to trip the fool. The man hollered something to the other side, but she didn't hear as Will thrust the end of the rope into Ben's hand saying "Pull!"

With one great heave, both of them sent the man flying into the river. Despite Ben's good nature, she burst into giggles along with Will who sang in a gleeful tune:

"There was a rich man from Nottingham

Who tried to cross the river.

What a dope!

He tripped on a rope!

Now look at him shiver!

Beg for mercy rich man!" Both of them began to giggle again, Ben because that was one of the most fantastic jingles she has ever heard. He must have thought of it as they were waiting.

"Brilliant!" She whispered, earning an even larger grin from Will. The man looked down at his wet clothes, though seemed to give up and bent down to wash his hands of the mud he had collected from the bottom of the river.

"I beg of no man." He said, sounding far too confident. The others seemed to have heard and jumped out of the forest, even around where the other two were at. It seemed to have completely taken the intruders by surprise, not thinking so many men would be out here. Will grabbed a hold of Ben's hand, pulling her out with the rest of the men, though dropped it when they were in plain sight.

"Well, this here is our river," Will said teasingly at the drenched man, "And any man who wishes to cross, must pay a tax!"

"Jewels, gold, silver, or clothes would do nicely, my dear gents." Ben added, giving the strangers her own mischievous grin as the men shouted agreements. Her friend turned to her with a proud grin, happy that she too was joining in on the fun that he was having. Ben always knew he loved to rob the rich folk blind. He had never told her why he had such a hatred for those of wealthier stature, but boy did he. She was only grateful he never said anything about her Master and his Lady when she told of them, hoping it was either out of a friend's kindness or he actually thought they were nice people. She didn't know and she was content with not knowing.

"I will pay no tax." Said the man, walking out of the water finally to stand upon one of the stones in the middle. "As you can see," He looked down on himself indicating his misfortune, "I have nothing. Not even my sword." He seemed to be laughing at his own predicament, as he smiled after saying this. Strange man, Ben thought, to find humour in such a state. Then again, she had to give him some praise for taking this all so well.

"Bollocks!" John cried out from the crowd, making most of the men laugh. "Any man who travels with two servants..." He began walking towards the man in the middle of the river, taking the rocks as a safe road, "And claims he's got no bloody money is either a fool or a liar." Both Ben and Will grinned at each other, soon cupping their mouths to scream. "Liar!" "Yeah, he's a liar!" Which made even more of the men laugh and cheer.

"Who are you?" The stranger asked John, who had stopped barely a few feet away from him.

"John Little." He introduced with a proud grin as he lowered his staff that sat upon his shoulders to point it at the man. "Best man of the woods." Again more cheers, and Ben and Will began to laugh. John always did like boasting his skills, especially with a staff. Even Ben had to admit it, he was beyond capable of plowing someone with a staff, he done it to her numerous times when they playfully sparred. Of course, had she had her sword he'd be in ribbons, but she was no match for him when it came to large sticks.

The man looked around to everyone that had surround him and his lot, seeming to survey the situation. "Well, best man, you lead this rabble?" A few of the guys taunted, saying "Ooo"'s, but Ben couldn't help but feel slightly insulted, even were it a joke. She cared for every one of these men, whole-heartedly.

"Rabble?" She shouted, not caring to hide the playfully insulted tone. "I say more like true noblemen of freedom!" The cheers came louder, even John gave her a wink. The man, though, seem rather interested and looked at her with a small smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

"Yes, I do, mate. And if you tusspots want to travel through Sherwood Forest, it'll cost you..." John looked over this man's character and instantly his eyes set upon the man's medallion hanging loosely from his neck. It wasn't much, but it was definitely gold. And it would bring a lot of money to their table, along with food and maybe some more clothing. "...That gold medallion."

At the mention of his jewelry, the man seemed to have paled. Looking down, he lightly touched it as if to make sure it was still there and the thieves hadn't stolen it. He seemed to have recovered quickly though, for when he took his gaze away from it and back to John, his face once again held a grin. "This is sacred to me." Of course, John could give two shakes of his good leg.

"It's sacred to us too, matey. That there will feed us for a bloomin' month."

"You'll have to fight me for it." What an idiot. Charging into a fight with a man he barely knew, no weapon to speak of, and completely surrounded. Again Ben gave the man some prays for his courage, and prayed for him for his stupidity.

"Love to, mate." John tossed him the staff he held, turning to get one of the other men's. The man seemed to be at a totally loss as he stared down at the wooden stick he held. Looking back at his own friend, who just shrugged, Ben couldn't help but smile. This was going to get interesting.

**MEMO:** So after much thought, I decided to go along with the movie. Not a lot into detail of it all, but pretty much the basic story-line and how Ben and Will and all the others react to it all. At first I was thinking about just staying away from it because a lot of people of done it in the movie story-line and had stolen lines from it to give it to their original characters, and I didn't want to be like that (no offense to you that do, i'm just saying that's not how I work.) But thinking about it, I really want Ben and Robin to interact along with Will and Robin in their whole Love/Hate situation. I think it would be much more interesting, no? So keep reading, reviews would be helpful so that I know what you all like and dont (also it makes me smile, lol, yet please be respectful.) But thank you all so much for staying with me so far! You're all my fantastic muses! xoxoxoxox

_**Disclaimer**_: _I do not own any of the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves characters or it's story-line, though it is being told through my pov. The only people I own are Benjamina, Erick and Adelaide Western and all who lived in Western Manor. Oh and just for this chapter, Wallace!_


	10. Robin of Locksley

**Chapter 10: Robin of Locksley**

As Will and Ben moved to a better spot to watch the fight, Wulf quickly ran from where he was to his father to claim his cloak.

"Be careful, father! He walloped twelve of the Sheriff's men." He said, not taking his eyes away from the stranger. Though it was on the edge of her hearing, Ben's eyes widened when she heard the young lad speak. 12? Bloody hell, what was he a machine? Though some of the men that were employed by the Sheriff were stupid git's that couldn't tell left from right if it was written in big letters, they were trained well enough in combat to fight if they had at least three others with them. But twelve soldiers?

"That so?" John said, now feeling very confident after his son's warning. "Reckon I'm gonna enjoy this." Every one started to make their way over to an area that was easy to see, as well as easily maneuver for the fighters. As Wulf was walking away, the stranger called to him, making the boy turn.

"_That's_ you're father?" His response was a very proud and happy grin, accompanied with an enthusiastic nod. Apparently the stranger wasn't so excited as Wulf was, because he mimicked him mockingly, though his fake smile quickly turned into a look of contempt. Turning, the stranger looked back at his own group of friends, seemingly saying something. His painted friend shrugged at whatever the stranger had asked, and taunted him with a smirk.

When the man turned back around, John barely gave him any time to actually react before he attack. With a swing, he hit the man's hand ruthlessly. While the strange was flapping his hand in an attempt to stop the pain, John turned to his adoring fans who 'wooted' and 'whooped'. Then they both began to swing at each other. The clunks and bats of the staves could be heard through the entire valley. One would think that the intruder would have the upper hand, but John swung his staff away from him, giving him the opening to hit the man in the back. As he staggered from the attack, John attacked the other opening, jabbing him in the stomach. And when he crunched over in pain, John hit him in the back once more, sending him over the tiny cliff into the water below.

Laughter of the men erupted as everyone rushed to watch him bob in the water. Though Ben felt absolutely horrible that the man was now completely soaked, she couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else.

"Weeee!" Will smirked at her, as they joined their friends as well. By then the man had floated to the top of the water, looking completely tired out already. When he reached for his chest, the thing he was searching for was missing. Picking at his clothes, he tried to find his pendant anywhere, internally hoping that he hadn't lost it over his tumble to the water. As if John had heard his silent prayers, a staff with the cross slowly made it's way in front of the man's face, catching his attention.

"Lost somethin'?" John asked teasingly, quickly snatching away the medallion before the man in the water could grab it. Coming closer and kneeling down, John smiled down at him. "Thanks for the taxes." Ben was pretty sure every man in the merry group was either crying from laughing too hard, or supporting themselves so they don't fall over with their staves.

"Looks like the little rich boy's lost for words, aye?" Will shouted at him, causing Ben to playfully push Will as she chuckled. Once upon a time she would have felt pity for the man, but living away from people for so long and finding the only entertainment was humiliating them, it was hard for Ben to feel anything other then glee. She grabbed his hand, dragging him to follow John and the others away from the trio of intruders and back home. That was until she heard the man shout something to his friends.

"Any great ideas?" He yelled, looking towards the small cliff that held his companions. The Arab looked at him as if he was a moron, replying:

"Get up! Move faster." He didn't save any time for details or long sentences at all, hoping that would help. It didn't seem to do much, because the man just laid in the water a few seconds more, saying something to himself. Though, after a second or two, he finally got up enough gall to stand and race after the giant man who was trudging through the water. Seeing what he was doing, everyone started to shout a warning to John, including Ben.

"John! Behind you, man! John!" She yelled, hoping her voice was loud enough for him to hear in time. Will looked over to her, wondering why she was yelling till he too saw what was happening. Just like Ben, he shouted.

"Watch out, John!" Ben could've swore she heard Wulf yell too, but her attention was entirely on the two as the man knocked John down into the water just to quickly move to face him, wearing a triumphant smirk.

"We're not through yet." He said, far too cocky for his own good. John had to admit, this man had some balls. No one has ever challenged him like this after being beaten once already. You think he'd have been humiliated enough. Well, if he wanted more, John concluded, he'll have it.

"All right, my old cocker. You want another good walloping?" John laughed at the thought of beating him again. "You shall have one." And again wooden stave went into a flurry of wackings. The man seemed to have collected his bearings, not taking the large man for granted, allowing him to gain the upper hand for once. With a loud hit to the jaw, John fell to the waters, clutching his chin to make sure it was still there. The man had an arm on him, John wouldn't deny that. As he tried to get up though, the stranger gave him a right kick to his behind, nearly sending him back into the water.

"It seems I've made it past the gate, John Little." He stated boastfully, with a wickedly playful grin. Of course, as John turned, he had a peeved glare. "Or should I call you 'Little John'?" That was it. It was bad enough he was beat in front of his own men, but to insult him with his own name. That was the end of it.

"Hit 'em father! Wallope 'em!" Wulf shouted over the silence of the men, and that was all John needed. With renewed energy, fueled by anger, John attacked which startled the stranger. It wasn't that he was not expecting John to attack, he knew he would, just not with this much force. After a few swings, he left a huge gape for John to attack. One hit to the shoulder. One to the stomach. A hard one to the nose. And he was sent back into the water, blood pouring from his nose and now busted lip. It didn't seem to phase him, because soon the man was back on his feet as if nothing had happened. He attacked again, though like before, gave John an opening. This time John didn't attack right away. As he held down the staff with his own, John said through gritted teeth: "Swimming time again, old chum." And _BAM_! A hard hit to the head that was sure to knock him unconscious.

With such a rough current, as well as no bodily control, the man fell over the multiple falls. That was when Ben started to worry. Through all of her years, she had never killed anyone in her exploits of Sherwood. Wounded, yes, but they were still able to get away and out of the forest and out of reach. She never wanted any of them dead. Ben was sure that John didn't want to kill the intruder either, but the rocks at the bottom of those falls don't really give people much choices. Quickly, Ben raced down the side of the falls, not seeing any sign of life within the waters. John seemed to have had the same idea as her, because he followed the rocks of the river, looking into the murky raging waters for the man. Nothing at all. Subconsciously, Ben looked to his companions, seeing that the Arab was wearing a surprised and yet expecting face. As if he knew what was going to happen.

"Were is he? Do you see him?" Wulf shouted as he and Will joined up with Ben.

"Ben, why the hell did you run off? You could have tripped and went into the falls." Any other time, she would have noticed the massively worried and caring tone Will had and most likely would have blushed from his attention, but her attentions were elsewhere.

"Oh, I'm sorry Will, I just..." She trailed off of her sentence as she continued to look through the waters with Wulf, hoping to see him somehow. John poked around the water with his staff, testing the depth and also seeing if he could somehow find the poor sod. After a few more prods, John looked one last time over the water then turned to the group with a shrug.

"It a bloomin' shame!" He shouted, and Ben found her hand reaching up to cover her mouth. "He was a brave lad." He meant every word of it, though as he lifted the pendant, he couldn't help but grin. One life was lost, but his men would have food in their-

John didn't even have time to finish his thought before something hard caught him in the groin and hoisted him up and into the water. Gasps were heard from everyone and Ben had to hold back Wulf from jumping into the water after his father.

"Ben, let go!"

"Wulf, he-"

"He can't swim!" He shouted, still trying to wiggle his way out of her grasp. Luckily Will was there helping her, or else Wulf would have taken her into the water with him.

"Wait, Look!" Will said to them both as John popped out of the water next to the stranger. He grabbed john, holding him up out of the water, though didn't hesitate to dunk him a few times to shut him up and make him listen.

"Do you yield?" He said, barely holding the giant man above the water as he struggled to stay afloat.

"I-I can't bloody swim!" His words fell on deaf ears as he was dunked once again under the water.

"Do you yield?" The man shouted again, making sure John realized he would continue this and not help him if he didn't surrender. John got the message pretty darn quick.

"Yes!" He said, flailing more in hopes that by some miracle he would get out of this alive and just very wet.

"Good. Now put your feet on the ground." The calm and even words startled John as he looked at him bewildered. Put his feet on the ground, what the bloody hell does he mean by that? Humouring the man and himself, John lowered his feet and instantly it connected with solid rock. Standing, the large man couldn't help but smile at the predicament and how foolish he was.

"Well I'll be buggered." Everyone was laughing and happy at the safety of their leader, cheering and chuckling themselves at how silly it all was. Both men, tired and weary from all the fighting and swimming, crouched over and breathed heavily.

"The medallion." The man said, sounding very serious all of a sudden. That wasn't enough for John though. He wanted to know who this fantastic man was. There was no way in hell this could just be some rich idiot traveling through Sherwood with a blind old coot and a painted man. He had a story. And John wanted to know it.

"Give me your name first."

"Robin of Locksley." Robin said through troubled breathing. But no matter how weak he was, the name sounded loud enough for Will Scarlet to hear it. Instantly his blood ran cold and pure black hated vibrated through his body. He couldn't move, he couldn't think. Robin of Locksley. Locksley. It echoed in his head mockingly. He didn't even hear what John had said to him or what Ben was now saying to him until he felt a hard jab in his ribs.

"Ow!" He looked over to see Ben and Wulf staring at him with bewildered expressions.

"Well, I've been saying you're name for awhile, you better listen to me, Mister!" Ben said, sounding more motherly then she wanted to. Will wanted to smile at her and how much she sounded like his mum, but he couldn't seem to focus on anything for long.

"I'm sorry. Just.." He hesitated, not wanting to really talk about his past. Sure, Ben has pretty much told him everything about her, but part of him didn't want to tell her. Not just yet. Not with so many people around them. No one knew about his past. Only John knew about his mum and how she died. But no one truly knew about what put them in that situation. Will decided he would tell her, but when the time was right and no one was about. "Yeah, just got distracted."

"Yeah, I guess." Ben said giving Wulf a raised eyebrow. He in return just shrugged. "Okay you two let's catch up with the rest before we lose them."

"Can I go up and talk to Robin?" Wulf asked, looking a little too excited for a kid who wanted to talk with the man that just nearly drowned his father. Ben looked at him surprised.

"Why Robin?"

"Well remember two days ago when I went hunting, and I got caught killin' those dear?" He said, not hiding the smirk he gave. He normally got that way when it came to him getting in trouble, most children were like that, until they got caught. Ben nodded, waiting for him to continue. "I ran all the way over to his lands to climb a tree so's that the dogs wouldn't get me."

"Dogs? Wulf why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"Cause I knew you'd freak out." He sighed as they continued to walk. "You're just like my mum when you do that. It's scary how close you are to her." Ben looked confused for a second. She wasn't being motherly was she? She wasn't acting like Adelaide- Okay looking back maybe she was, but's that's not so bad. Right? Besides, whenever John spoke about his wife Fanny, she seemed like an amazing woman. That opinion could be biased because they loved each other, but oh well. So Ben decided to ignore it and take it as a compliment.

"Continue then." She said, cordially gesturing with a slight wave of her hand.

"Anyway, when I climbed the tree. Robin came out of no where and attacked them. Swing! Crash! Bang! And they went running for the hills!" The proud grin he wore made Ben giggle. He was so cute, too cute even. She knew she was meant to be mad at him for not telling about how he was in danger, but with a smile like that it was impossible. Will, though, just rolled his eyes thinking about how Robin just wanted attention.

"Fine, go up and talk with him. But stay close to your dad, all right!" She hollered at him, since he ran off the moment she said 'fine'.

"Thanks, _mum_!" He yelled back at her, laughing and making sure he was running fast to get away from her.

"That's not funny, Wulf!" She said, smiling softly at the young boys retreating figure. "Such a little brat." She teased quietly. "Don't you think, Will?" Turning to the man that was walking next to her, Ben waited for a response. None came. "Helloooo?" No reaction. "Will, I'm wearing no under-garments." Still nothing. He just stared ahead of them with a scowl, mind off in it's own little world of who knows what. Finally giving up to being nice about it all, Ben went over to the river that they were still walking by. Making a bowl with her hands, she scooped up the cool water and walked back to Will, making sure not to spill any. With a quick movement, the water was no longer in her hands, but on Will's face. Faster than one could blink, he sputtered and cursed, coming out of his daze.

"What the hell, Ben?" He shouted, wiping his face with his shirt, which was pretty pointless because his shirt collected some of the water as well.

"I was talking to you, Will. And again you weren't listening. What has gotten you so distracted all of a sudden?" She pivoted around from her direction, facing Will, to start walking again with him at her side.

"I'm sorry, Ben. I...It's nothing." He simply said, looking down at the rocks that made the coastline of the river. He was hiding something, she knew it. He wouldn't look at her in the eye like he normally did when they spoke. Not to mention the incredibly guilty expression he had didn't give anything away at all, either.

"Will," She spoke sternly though not harsh, "You're keeping something from me. I don't like it." The guilty look seemed so deepen, and then he turned his face away from her, seeing that she was looking at him. "Will." She spoke again, crossing her arms in front of her chest once again.

"Look, Ben, I'll tell you. Just not right now, okay?" His voice was urging her to listen to him, hoping that she would just give him time to collect himself. She understood too, once being in his shoes before. With a sigh, her arms fell to her side in defeat.

"Very well, but do me a favour, will you?" His gaze turned to her, seeing her compassionate and sweet smile. He was so lucky to have someone like her. So forgiving and innocent.

"What's that?" She coiled her arm around his, taking a step closer to him so that she nearly spoke into his ear if she were tall enough.

"Stop thinking of it for now? For me, please?" Her pleading/pout-like look broke down every sort of excuse he could come up with for what she asked. Now he understood what she felt like when Wulf would do this to her all the time. Will would scold her for letting the runt get whatever he wanted out of her, and her only excuse would be that he was too cute to deny him anything. Looking at her now, yeah he could understand what the fuss was about. Or maybe it was just her and how close she way, who knows. Pulling his arm that she hung to closer to his body along with her, he gave the best grin that he could.

"Anything for you, my dear." She giggled, and they chatted away on the trip back to camp.

* * *

><p>The day had turned into night, and most of the men were sitting around a campfire, speaking with Robin about 'men stuff'. After Bull had tried to show his downstairs area, Ben tried to space out as much of the conversation as possible. That was until Robin spoke up from the silence.<p>

"Has English hospitality changed so much in six years that a friend of mine is not welcome at this table?" Ben looked up from her spot next to Will to see that one of the men, Daniel, was passing the mead over the painted man.

"But he's a savage, sire!" He whispered hoarsely, ironically trying not to offend the Arab. But what he had said hit a soft spot in Ben. Just listening to one of the men speak like this, one of the men she came to be friends with, insulted her.

"How is he a savage?" She spoke up, drawing everyone's attention over to her. Robin and the Arab must have been in shock, because their eyes were wide just looking over to her. They had not noticed the 'boy' at all, Robin only thought there was one child here. Seeing their confusion, John indicated for her to come closer with his big hands.

"This is Ben Rouge, our little shadow of the forest. Quick as a deer and as skilled as a trained soldier. Not to mention the worst light-weight I've ever seen." He joked, causing the men to giggle in memories of her first time being drunk. Even she cracked a smile as she walked over to them. Sitting down next to the coloured man, she ignored the looks of bewilderment coming from everyone, even the Arab. With a stoic glare, she looked at Daniel.

"How is he a savage, Dan?" Nearly all of the men visibly flinched at her voice, not liking how emotionless it sounded. Ben was always sweet, she always had a smile. Ever since they found out she was a girl, she had been nothing but cheery and delightful since she didn't have to worry about hiding who she was anymore. Now she acted like she once did when she was dressing as a boy, and it threw all of them off.

"It's wot the king says, Ben. They don't believe in God." Before the Arab could talk, Ben quickly interrupted.

"You're wrong, Danny. In fact, they believe in the same God we do." The way she sounded so sure of herself, made all of them lean closer, waiting to hear her finish. "If I'm correct, Allah is actually just another name for God. But they can't say that it means 'God' because it has no meaning. It is just simply God. Giving it a meaning is like giving God a face, impossible." Ben turned to the painted man, a tiny smile playing at her lips. "Am I correct?" Azeem was simply at a loss for words. No one outside of his country truly understood his religion like this girl had. Any would assume they were devil worshipers and would make them convert or die. And yet here is a child that knew so little, yet so much for her people. With an amazed nod, he replied.

"Yes, how do you know of this?" His rich accent made Ben smile wider. Besides at the river, she had never heard him speak.

"My master traveled everywhere, including where your people came from. He learned enough to hold a grant honour for them. He only told me small stories, but never enough to really understand it all and get a good grip on your culture. When the War started though, he felt insulted himself, often going off on rants about how it was so pointless to do so. In fact, he often said that the Muslim religion was just another branch of the worship of God. Just like the Jews and Christians. Abraham was the first, and they acknowledged that Moses and Jesus were prophets of the Lord, they just follow the prophet Muhammad's teachings instead. I remember him saying something in a language I knew nothing of, then saying 'There is one God and Muhammad-"

"Is His messenger." The Arab said in complete aww. This child knew more then he thought, and it made him nearly weep with joy. Someone understood him for once. Someone knew. "Azeem Ebin Bashir Al Bachrim. But you may call me Azeem." Azeem kissed his fingers, touching his head, then brought it out to her in a salute. She remembered one of the stories Erik had told her, that this was a sign of introduction and honour to Muslims, and she returned the favour.

"Allahu akbar." She said, reciting exactly as her Master had once done before. A twinkle of pure joy was in Azeem's eyes, and part of Ben felt accomplish. She had always wanted to meet the men that were in her Master's stories, and here she was. "I'm Benjamina Rouge. But call me Ben." There was a choking sound, and they turned to see Robin look at her in pure wonderment.

"You're a girl?" He exclaimed, making her unsure if she should glare at him or laugh. Azeem just rolled his eyes at the Christian, finding it very rude to say such things in such a way.

"Yeah, it's a long story. And I'm a woman, thank you, not a girl." Though her voice sounded cruel, she wore a smirk on her face, showing that she was just teasing him. Robin felt a tad better when he saw her grin, making him feel less the ass than he did a few seconds ago.

"Well I thank you, Benjamina, for sticking up for my friend." He turned his smile to Azeem. "Cause even though he is a savage, he is no more one than you or I." But his smiled faded as he turned to Daniel, who had been quiet this hole time out of fear of angering Ben further. "And don't call me 'sire'." The mug that Daniel had been holding slowly passed over to Azeem. He shook his head though, smiling apologetically at the poor man.

"With regret, I must decline. Allah forbids it."

"You're bloody loss, mate." John said, motioning for the jug to be passed again. Ben patted Azeem on the shoulder with one last smile before she made her way back over to Will. Even he had a huge grin on his face. Once she sat, he leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

"That was very kind of you to stand up for him. Erik would have been proud of you." He winked at her before leaning back in his seat to listen to the others. Blushing lightly, Ben tried to listen to the conversation as well, but her mind was stuck on her Master. Would he have been happy that she stood up for Azeem? Would he have been proud that she learned so much from him? One could only hope...

"Why is it there so many of you are hiding?" Robin said, looking around to all of them.

"Well, we are all outlaws. We got prices on our heads. Even the young lad there." He pointed to his son, who gladly took a huge swig off of the mead jug. His father chuckled and shook his head before returning to his conversation with Robin. "The blasted Sheriff, he says we owe him taxes." At mention of the Sheriff's ridiculous plot, everyone began to laugh and giggle. They all knew it was just a guise to get more money out of them all. Greedy bugger that he was.

"Well, you know your ghosts will only keep the Sheriff's men at bay for so long." Robin said, hoping his words could sink into the men.

"Well, they've worked so far." Will finally spoke, making everyone turn to him. "You have a better idea?" He had a point. For years now their 'ghosts' had kept away anyone who wasn't desperate to travel through Sherwood. And those who did, met those who haunted the road like ghosts.

"You can always fight back." This time Ben gave a loud scoff.

"Beg pardon to my boys, but they aren't fighters! They haven't fought a day in their life besides with their wives our their trousers when they can't fit into them after a large meal." Most of the men giggled at her comment, knowing it true. John nodded his head at her, cracking a smirk.

"Young Ben is right. I reckon I must have cracked that noble head of yours. All good lads here! And lady." He added, sending a cheeky grin to Ben. "They've hearts of oak, but they're farmers. It would be lambs to the slaughter. Bout the only one with any weapon experience is Ben." Robin looked down, seemingly taking what the large man said in. It was most likely true, Robin thought as he looked around the men. They all held large physics. But they were large builds of farmers. Not soldiers. But Robin knew that could be changed. A man fighting for what he knows is right and what he loves is stronger then any trained soldier, no matter his upbringing.

"They say the Sheriff was raised by a witch." One of the men, hidden by many of the others, said. Fear all but dripping from his voice.

"A witch?" Azeem asked, looking wide eyed at Robin. There wasn't many 'witches' where he came from, but when there were, they were blackened to the bone. Many a man would die before a witch even had a cut, not to mention killed. Adrenaline shivered up Azeem's spine, just thinking about it. He tried to swallow it down, but it was harder then one would think. Mentally praying to Allah for strength, hoping his prayers would be answered.

"She knows every man's thoughts," Wulf said, an excited grin on his face as he laid down on his tree branch. "She can see right through 'em. And she flies!"

"Now that's a load codswallop, Wulf." John said irritably. He hated that children were so easily swayed by stories. It was a blessing with some things, sure. '_No we was just wrestling, lad!_' But when it came to stories about evil witches and trolls under bridges, made his blood boil just thinkin' of it. Fairy tales got nothing to do with real life, John believed.

"What does the rich son of a Devil-worshiper care what happens to a band of outlaw peasants-"

"Will!" Ben shouted, but it was too late.

"My Lord was a kind and generous man!" Hollered Duncan, who had been quiet up til now. "Who among you dares believe him capable-"

"Duncan. Duncan!" Robin soothed him, placing a soft hand on the old man's to stop him from continuing. When the blind elder quieted down, Robin turned to Will, who was too busy trying to make Ben stop glaring at him to notice everyone else's eyes were on him. "My father was no devil-worshiper." He said to Will, drawing his attention though it didn't stick as Robin turned to everyone else with a warning glare. "And I'll have words with any man that says otherwise." The tension eased as Robin looked away and into the fire. Their words stung at his heart, knowing that his father died unjustly and this is how they think of him. Nottingham will surely pay for what he has done to his family. Tossing tiny sticks broken down into smaller pieces in the fire, Robin continued. "But he's right. I was a rich man's son. But when I killed the Sheriff's men, I became an outlaw like you."

"You are nothing like us." Will spat at him, getting up from his tree, glaring one last time at Robin, before turning and walking to his hut. All of them stared after him, surprised. Sure Will could explode sometimes, especially when his mother was brought up. But never like this, never with no reason to a stranger! Ben became worried as she followed him with her eyes. Finally agreeing with herself to catch up with him, she began to stand up.

"That there is Will Scarlet." John said, not caring to watch him leave along with the others. John had seen Will's tantrums, and having 7 kids already taught him how to handle it all. He knew Will would be over it soon. Didn't know why he was acting like this, but he would get over it. "Take no notice of him. He's full of piss and wind."

"Johnathon Isiah Little!" Ben hissed, making the giant man look at her in utter surprise. How the bloody hell did she know his middle name? "How dare you talk about Will like such! When he has been nothing but a friend to you. For shame." She glared at him, placing her hands on her hips, and John could see every man look at him with fearful glee. It was like he was a child again, being scolded by his mum when he was around his friends. All of them wanting to giggle or laugh at him for being in trouble, but too afraid they might get in trouble themselves. "In the morning you will apologize to him, do I make myself clear?"

"But-"

"No buts!" It was getting increasingly hard for the men to hold back laughter. Even Robin and Azeem had to cover their mouths to make sure no laughter escaped. John just looked like a deer caught in a hunter's trap, ready to be shot.

"Yes, ma'am..." John said, finally giving up, and looking down so that he wouldn't have to look her in the eyes again.

"Good boy." She walked off towards Will's hut, stomping loud enough for everyone to hear until she was far enough away. They were all still very silent for a few moments, not wanting to say anything in case she would hear. It was Wulf that broke the silence.

"Is it just me, or does she act like mum?" The boy asked, looking at his father with considering eyes. John just scoffed. That was a bloody understatement.

Over at Will's hut, Ben's step became quieter as her temper extinguished.

"Will?" Ben quietly asked as she stood outside the makeshift blanket door. "Will are you okay?" She heard the sound of footsteps but nothing more, and it worried her. "May I come in?" No answer came, and she forfeit. He needed time to cool down as well. "If you need me, I'll be in the Burrow, okay?" Ben wasn't really expecting an answer, so she turned and made her way to her own little home. Climbing down and resting inside, Ben closed her eyes and thought. She really hoped Will was okay. Like everyone else, she wasn't exactly sure why he had acted in such a way to Robin. From what she could see, he was an okay guy. Not knowing him much, she couldn't make a solid opinion, but what she had seen was good. Maybe Will had known him before, and he had done something wrong to him? Maybe that was the reason he had been so spacey before? That would explain it, after all. Now just to find out what had happened.

Deep in her thoughts, Ben didn't hear the footsteps coming closer to her Burrow. Or the blanket flap as some stepped through it. Only when the hay next to her feet crunched under new weight did she notice someone was there. Eyes flying open and sitting up, she could barely see the out line of someone sliding down into the sleeping area of her Burrow. Before she could say anything, a hand covered her mouth. It was a rough hand, with a few callouses, but not many.

"Shh, it's me." Will's voice whispered, calming her nerves instantly. She pushed his hand away lightly, then punched him in, what she could guess, was his arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Don't scare me like that!" She harshly whispered, desperately wanting to hit him again.

"Sorry." He said meekly. Ben sighed, looking at his silhouette crouching down at the entrance of her 'bed'. Scooting over a bit, she grabbed a hold of his arm, guiding him to lay down next to her. Once he was all settled in and laid down, Ben could just barely make out the lines of his face by the moonlight shedding through the blanket. "I'm sorry I just left you like that. What he said-"

"Will, you don't need to explain that. Just tell me what is going on?" Her voice was soft and caring, though urgent at the same time. She wanted to know what was wrong with her Will. _Her_ Will? Well that's not what she meant. No she meant-

"It's that fancy little rich boy." He stated, not caring to hide the hate in his voice.

"I know you are not a fan of rich people, other then stealing from them, but what has Robin done for you to hate him so much?" It was silent for a few moments, their breathing was barely even audible.

"He killed my mother..."

"But, you said that your mother died in the snow storm?" She whispered tentatively, not really wanting to bring up such sad memories. Ben hated thinking about the night when she found Erik and Adelaide, and she was sure Will didn't much like thinking about the day he found his mother.

"She did, but he caused it." Will paused, and Ben was more then confused at what he was saying.

"How?"

"It was him that drove my mother away from our father." Ben was utterly shocked. _Our_ father? They were brothers? "When his mother died, our father found my mother, and found peace with her. She said that he was finally happy and not grieving his dead wife anymore. That he had found hope for happiness."

"Well that's good right? He was happy with her." Ben had always loved happy endings when it came to love. It was so beautiful, love. The strongest thing in the world, that's what Adelaide had told her when she was a child. Every good story had love.

"You'd think." He said spitefully. "But the spoiled brat sitting right outside didn't think so. He had caught my mother and our father in a kiss, and screamed and yelled that he was a horrible father for disgracing his mother like that. That he had forgotten her already. When Locksley ran, father went after him, and when he came back he apologized to mother and told her never to come back again. That is son was more important than his own happiness. Mother was heartbroken and left. She even told him she was pregnant with me, that's why she had visited that day. She was pregnant with his child, and he forced her from his home because he loved Robin more then me." Ben touched his arm in comfort, and felt his tension from telling the story. At her touch, he eased a little, and that was enough for her. As much as she would like to calm him completely, with Will Scarlet, a little goes a long way. "If he could have just gotten over it, realized it wasn't all about him, my mother wouldn't have been forced out of house and home by God fearing gits for having a bastard child. And she would still be alive." There was a waver in his voice, one that said he was holding back tears. It was torture to know that Will was hurting so much and she could do nothing to help. So she did the one thing that always helped her when she was sad and at the castle. Moving closer, Ben rested her head on Will's shoulder, wrapped her arm around his torso, and cuddled him.

"It's okay." She simply said, like Adelaide would say and she held Ben close til she fell asleep. If he was in his right mind, Will would have gotten up and went to his tent. But the feel of her next to him, the way she held him, the soft sweetness of her voice, it made him stay next to her. Even getting so bold as to hold her as well, looping one arm around her shoulder and the other resting on the arm that held him so that she would be closer. "Goodnight, Will." She whispered into his shoulder, yawning.

"Yeah, yeah, goodnight Ben." It was like it had been before, when they had no worries or cares and were together. And it made them both smile as they fell into peaceful sleep.

_**MEMO:**__ It seems the more I write this story, the more I want to add to it. Originally I just wanted a 10 chapter story, now im looking at near 20. Hope you all don't mind! lol. I rather enjoyed making Ben seem very motherly. Its so much fun making her act like that, especially when you think she is supposed to look like a boy. Also loved writing the part with Azeem, cause I absolutely love his character in the movie so thinking about writing this, I really wanted Azeem, Will and Wulf to be close to Ben. Let's face it, who wouldn't want to be close with those guys? Lol. But thank you all sooooo much for reading and staying with me. You are my fantastic muses! xoxoxo_

_**chaoticmom:**__ thank you so much for the review/warning/heads up, that was actually one of my biggest worries when I decided to go along with the movie. But luckily someone was looking down on me and gave me a rather good idea that you shall have to wait and see :) Again thank you so much, and i hope you enjoyed this next chapter. You're awesome :D_


	11. To Lead You

**Chapter 11: To Lead You**

By the river there was a large and sturdy tree that had fallen, hanging over the steady stream. Barely hanging on to the ground with roots still implanted in the soil. A perfect spot to sit and watch a sunset, or enjoy the sounds of the river swimming beneath. It was there that the young Wulf, Will and Benjamina sat, trying to fish for supper that night. It was comforting to be in such a place, in pure nature. No civilization, no people, nothing but the quiet peacefulness of Sherwood. With a sigh, Ben snuggled down into the little seat she had picked out for herself. A tiny gap between two branches, and a dip within the tree that allowed her a comfy recliner to sit on. Will enjoyed sitting with Wulf along the outer branches, giving them both easy access to the fishy water. Life was good, thought Ben as she closed her eyes in bliss, sighing contently.

"I'm not saying that it's not a good idea, Wulf, I'm just saying it's not exactly safe." Will said, interrupting the girl's state of calm. His voice was somehow hazy, though Ben could make out the words well enough. She strained to hear their conversation, not entirely sure why it was hazy in the first place.

"How is it not safe?" Wulf asked, though not sounding angry but more of curious. Wulf was never really one to get angry easily. He was a peaceful boy when it came down to it all.

"What's not safe?" Ben asked groggily. Why did she feel so drowsy? She didn't think she felt that relaxed sitting here. Trees weren't exactly the most softest of beds. Then again, she was pretty much sleeping on a pile of hay every night so that arguement was pointless. Especially when that one single piece of hay somehow lodged itself into your side and made sleep nearly impossible.

"Oh sleeping beauty awakens!" Will joked, getting a hushed giggle out of Wulf.

"I was asleep?" She asked in amazement. Okay, _that's_ why she was sleepy..

"Yup, for like..Hmn, how long would you say?" They both looked up into the sky, trying to figure out where the sun was at it the sky.

"Bout an hour." Wulf finished him, giving a sweet smile to Ben, which she returned as she sat up and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. Groaning, she shook the sleep from her head, trying hard to get that drowsy feeling to stop clouding her thoughts. Waking up was not something she could say she was happy to do, because it made her feel like her head was ten pounds heavier and her body was a rag doll that couldn't move properly. As funny a sight as it was to see, it was still fairly annoying especially since it was her that it was happening to.

"I'm sorry boys, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"It's okay, not like we're getting lucky out here anyway." Will said, glaring at the water down bellow them as if it could tell he was mad at it.

"No bites?"

"Not even a nibble." Will swung his makeshift fishing pole a little, hoping that little movement would draw the attention of the fish. Fat chance with the way it had been going. They've been out their since sun-up and it was nearly noon, yet there was no hope of fish.

"Hey, I got a bite earlier!" Wulf protested, copying Will by swishing his pole back and forth, nearly hitting Will in the leg with it. On purpose or accidentally? Who knows.

"It was stuck on a branch, it was not a bite!"

"Was to! You're just jealous because your's got caught on the back of your shirt when you swung yours out and nearly threw yourself in the water!" Will looked as if he was about to say something else though nothing came out. Instead, he just stuck out his tongue. Wulf, looking slightly triumphant at the man's lack of words, stuck his own tongue out. Both of them continued to do this, soon making grunting sounds as they stuck their tongues out farther and farther, seeing who's was the longest.

"Like babysitting children..." Ben whispered to herself as she shook her head. "Okay you two, enough before your tongues get tied together and you're stuck like that." Quickly their tongues retracted back into their mouths, both looking at each other with wide eyes. "If they're not biting, we can come back later. I want some food in my belly though, so let's head back." The boys seemed to have agreed, gathering their worms that they had placed in a bowl and their fishing rods. When they were all ready, they all made their way back to the camp.

Ben though, had other plans then just walking silently. Bending over a little to Wulf, she whispered into his ear, asking for some privacy with Will. Nodding obediently, the young boy walked up a little ahead of the two. Noticing the kid's absence from them, Will gave a raised eyebrow to Ben.

"I wanted to talk with you, and as much faith I have in Wulf, I'm pretty sure you don't want many people to know."

"Know what?" He asked, genuinely confused about what she was talking about.

"About what you told me last night." Instantly, Will tensed up hearing this. Ben knew that he didn't want to talk about it more then he already had. Heck, it was a miracle he even told her of it at all. But what Ben wanted to say needed to be said, even at Will's discomfort. "I know it's not a topic you wish to be on, but...When are you going to tell him?"

"Tell who what?" The snap in his voice told Ben that Will wasn't happy about this conversation, even more then his tense body. When she was a child, Ben would recoil from something like this, get away in fear of making some one angry. She never was one for conflict back in those days, and she just wanted everyone to be happy with her. But she was much older now, and had learned to harden herself enough over the years to not be so scared. If Will was going to be stubborn, she can be as well if not more.

"Tell Robin that you are his brother." There was a pause after what she said, Will looking forward while she looked at him. He refused to look at her, he just kept walking. After awhile, Ben was afraid he wasn't going to say anything at all.

"He's not going to know." He finally said, walking a little faster now to get away from her. Unfortunately, he didn't try hard enough for soon Ben was at his side once more walking just as fast as he was. He should have known though, after all it was damn near impossible for him to catch up to her when she runs. Not to mention her determination was endless. He learned that too well when he tried to catch her the first day they met...

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said, Ben." He replied roughly, rolling his eyes at her question. What else could it mean? Why couldn't women just understand that no means no.

"You can't do that!" Ben yelled, tugging his arm, making him stop and turn to face her.

"Yeah? And why not?" The challenge in his voice was starting to get on the woman's nerves. He thought himself so high and mighty, so above everyone else, did he? Okay, two can play at that game.

"He is your family, Will, he has a right to know!" Her voice was beginning to grow louder, rising with her anger. By now, Wulf had stopped walking and turned to see his two friends face to face, glaring at one another. Part of him thought he should step in and stop them from fighting like he did with his mum and dad, but he wasn't sure how these two would react if he did. He didn't want to be yelled at too, after all. Wulf wasn't even sure what it was about anyhow, but the angered look on Ben's face told him that it wasn't a nice topic.

"He is not my family! He is a spoiled git that needs to be knocked down off his high horse and realize that everything is not about him." Like Ben, his voice was getting louder too. Obviously, he's never been in a shouting match with a female before, because if he did, he wouldn't have tried to one-up her in volume.

"Oh then you definitely are related, aren't you? It seems to be a family trait!" Now she was actually yelling, not caring whether anybody heard or not. If anything, Robin will hear and ask questions so Will will have no choice but to tell him. Ha, that'd be interesting to see. Ben would love to see Will's excuse for that one and how he was going to try and get out of it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" After hearing her yell, Will realized how their volume was getting too high for his liking, so he now started talking through gritted teeth. Ben was right before, he didn't want anyone to know that he and that jackass of a man shared blood. Wulf was trustworthy, but it was bad enough Ben knew about it. Though, thinking about it now, Will would have rather told Wulf instead of this infuriating female. At least he wouldn't be pestering him like she was doing.

"'Exactly what I said.'" She mocked him with a fake man's voice, placing her hands on her hips. "You are so damned and determined to throw fits and stomp off just to gain attention! You trying to make him suffer is only making you suffer as well."

"How am I suffering?"

"You are caught up in your own self pity of being alone and unwanted, and Robin is only an excuse for you to make it so! If you were any sort of real man, you would confront him here and now! Hell, knock his teeth out if you'd like! But at least it would be out in the open and you wouldn't be trapped in your own thoughts every single second, brooding and scowling, hoping to somehow come up with a plan to ruin him! God, William you are such a child, it's not even funny." She pivoted away from him, stomping off towards Wulf, who was unsure if he should make a run for it so that he was not in Ben's line of fire or not move and hope she doesn't see him. But before she could really take any steps, Will grabbed a hold of her arms like she had done to him before.

"Now wait just a minute-"

"Don't you touch me!" She hollered, voice cracking into a high pitch. And when she turned to shake his hand off her arm, Will saw the fresh tears that had just now begun to spill. Instantly his anger was gone, and he wanted nothing more then to hold her close and comfort her. To know why she was crying and ask if it was because of him. But he couldn't, because she had brushed off his hand and walked over to Wulf, ushering him quickly back into the camp and leaving Will to follow or not. He wasn't sure why, but Will felt terrible. He had made her cry somehow.. He didn't mean to, if she would have just left it all alone...

No! He shouldn't be feeling bad, he thought. This was all her fault. She was the one that brought this entire thing up. If she had any common sense at all, she would have just left well enough alone after he told her. She should have just nodded her head, said okay, and left it at that. But no, she had to stick herself in affairs that weren't hers. How would she know what its like to have your family ripped away by your own sibling? She didn't know at all, so she had no right to be angry with him.

Sighing he ran his hand through his hair, like he always did when he was frustrated. Women were so irritating. He missed the days when the camp didn't have any sort of females at all. Less drama. Then again.. If Ben was gone, Will wasn't sure what he would do. She was there for him, more then any of the others had been. God! Why couldn't he just stay mad at her! It would be so much more easier! But he couldn't. Even now he could feel his anger melting away like it did before, giving way to the guilt. Will knew that him blaming Ben for this was pointless, if anything she just wanted to help and there was really no fault in that. Now just to find a way to get her to forgive him. Women...

Back at the camp, Azeem had just finished praying and was now rolling up his prayer mat carefully. It took awhile to get the direction out of the men around here, but finally someone told him where East was. Damned English and their stubbornness. This would never have happened back home. Then again, back home, everyone would be praying now. It was so hard being in a different country. Especially when you are unwelcome in it.

"Are you okay, Ben?" The words came from the child, Wulf, and the Arab looked up to see the boy and Ben walking out of the forest and into camp. Hearing what Wulf said, Azeem studied her and saw that her cheeks were stained with dried tears. Worry filled him to the core and after setting his mat in his little tent-like hut, Azeem swiftly came to her side.

"Are you alright, young one?" He asked, accent thick with concern. It surprised her to see him already asking her if she was okay only moments after she arrived back home, yet made her smile. This man was a true gentleman at heart and he was not afraid to let it show at all. That was so uncommon for people now. If they were sweet and proper, it as to get something they wanted. What happened to chivalry?

"Yes, I'm alright, thank you."

"There are tears in your eyes." Normally, such observant behavior would scare her, but she knew that Azeem was just looking out for her. With a wipe of her hand, she dried her fresh tears and blinked any that were threatening coming away. She gave him a reassuring smile, though it didn't really convince Azeem but it would have to do for now. The elder man looked down to Wulf, who just stared back at him. "Do you know what happened, little Little?" Both Wulf and Ben giggled at the pun Azeem made, which earned them a playful smile from the Arab.

"Will and Ben got in a fight and started yelling at each other." He said simply, a smile still on his face. He was worried about Ben, but now that she stopped crying, he was sure she was okay. Besides, if she wasn't, she had him to cheer her up.

"About what?"

"Well they-" A small pale hand quickly covered the boy's mouth.

"Nothing. It was nothing." Ben quickly said, trying to stay calm after the heart attack she nearly had from Wulf telling. She may have been mad at Will, but that didn't mean she wouldn't respect his wishes. Sure, she wanted Robin to know about Will, but she wanted Will to be the one to tell him not anyone else. A dark brown eyebrow raised at her in disbelief, which made Ben feel bad. Azeem did nothing to warrant her to lie to him, but she still didn't want to tell him. With a sigh, she caved in. "Me and Will didn't see quite eye to eye this morning, and so we fought." The answer seemed to have pleased Azeem a bit more, for he nodded understanding. Ben was only thankful that he didn't press the matter further.

"Very well. And Wulf, you're father wanted to speak with you once you returned. You had best go find him." The boy nodded, giving Ben a quick hug before he walked to the hut that he and his father shared. The dark chocolate eyes of the Arab watched Wulf walk away before he returned his gaze back to Ben. "I hope everything will be alright for you two." He said, meaning her and Will. She gave him a half smile, wrapping her arms around herself in a small comfort. It wasn't a lot, but it soothed her enough.

"I hope so, too. He's just so stubborn.." Azeem chuckled and shook his head.

"It has been something many women fail to notice yet always see about all men, my dear." His humor made her smile, though not for long, as the sound of snapping twigs and leaves drew their attention to Will coming out of the forest. He had been looking down on the ground til he reached the clearing, then he cast his eyes upward, instantly connecting with Ben's. Her skin crawled with anger, and she held back the urge to yell at him again. Quickly, she turned back around to Azeem. Will sighed, running his hand through his hair, before he made his way off to one of the group of men. Hopefully someone had caught some sort of food this morning, unlike them. All this stress was causing his stomach to sound like an angry bear.

The Arab watched as the scene before him played on, taking in every detail that was happening. Something truly bad must have happened for this young woman to be so mad at him, for she seemed like a very understanding person. "He must be very stubborn for you to act like that at the mere sight of him." She laughed weakly, staring off into space and trying hard not to look the way Will had left. If he just happened to be looking at her too, she didn't want him to see her look at him. Gad, she felt like a child thinking like that..

"That's an understatement." After she said that, a look of realization struck her face. Azeem had been alone when she and the boys came back from the forest. This morning, when they were heading out, she remembered that Robin and him were together. Then again, ever since they came into their forest, they had been inseparable. "Azeem? Where is Robin?"

"He said that he was off to Nottingham to go to church. Stupid of him because he could be caught, but he is a christian, and I have heard that a church is your place of worship."

"Yes, and it is Sunday, so I suppose that makes sense. Though I'm surprised he didn't bring Duncan with him. I'm sure the poor man would have felt comforted in the church." Ben said, looking over to the old man, who sat at the base of a tree.

"I think not, young one. For it was the men of Nottingham who had blinded him.." The regret in his voice seeped through her, and Ben could feel it to her core. She had wondered what had happened to his eyes, though she never had the heart to ask him herself. But Nottingham's men? Cruelty was a common thing for them, though Ben had never heard of them sewing a man's eyes shut for no reason. Azeem seemed to have seen the look of sadness on her face, because his hand rested on her shoulder in a comforting way. "Do not pity him, Benjamina, pity the men who did this to him. For they have no place in Allah's heart."

His word's struck her deep. But before she could reply, the sounds of horse's hooves echoed through the camp. Louder and louder it got until the Arab and Ben saw Robin on the back of a gorgeous white horse coming at a fast pace.

"Water!" Azeem shouted as he made his way over to Robin, who had dismounted the beast and hunched over to finally get some air after his chase.

"Thank you." Locksley said, though winded.

"For the animal." Azeem added, not hiding the irritation in his voice at all. One of the men that had been close by came over with a bucket of water, setting it down on the ground. The horse gratefully started lapping it up, only stopping to breath. Ben came over and ran her hand over it's neck and shoulder blade, hoping to calm it down.

"How can I protect you if I know not where you go?" Robin didn't really seem to be listening to the Arab, as he took a bag that he had with him and dumped all the contents out of it. Tumbling on the floor were at least twelve loaves of bread, which the men quickly grabbed, already planning on what they were going to have for dinner that night.

"You hardly lift a finger when you do!" He snapped back. Okay, apparently he was listening. Taking one of the loafs of bread, Robin started making his way to his blinded friend. Ben could see Azeem's frustration, though she knew that he was at least happy Robin thought of the others when he took the bread and not just of himself.

"I prefer to have a choice." Robin reached his sightless friend, and slowly bent down to him. Touching him softly on the shoulder, hoping to not startle him, he whispered 'Duncan'. The older man jumped slightly, but hearing his Master's voice settled him. Robin pushed the loaf of bread into his hands, making sure that he was well fed. His friend had been through far too much lately, and he would be damned if he allowed Duncan to suffer anymore.

"Wonderful," Will's voice erupted through the crowd, "You have stolen the Sheriff's horse?" His tone, filled with hate and annoyance, making everyone pass glances between him and the elder man. Robin didn't get time to reply before the massive man named John came out with an angered look on his face as well.

"You've gone and stirred up a bloody hornets nest now!" A shadow of a smirk formed it's way onto Robin's face, finding this humorous.

"Are you afraid, John?" To think of it, it was silly. A beast of a man like John afraid to get into a little trouble. Especially after it was he that started this little band of thieves anyhow. But John couldn't deny, if the Sheriff's men were to take the forest, these men would die before they could get a chance to run. There was no jail for any of them. Just the noose.

"Yeah, a little." John admitted, though trying to hide back how much he really was.

"Well, so is the Sheriff! And today I gave him a blow that he will not easily forget." Locksley's voice sounded far too proud, and Ben was too afraid to ask what the rogue had done to Nottingham. If she knew, Ben was sure to panic a little more then she already was. Of course, she was happy someone finally stood up to that bastard, but she didn't want to be thrust into the , Ben was capable of defending herself, but she didn't know about the others. And, truth be told, she didn't want to be found by Nottingham.. Knowing full well that if they knew it was her, they would mantle her head above the castle fire.

"You fool! You've started a war!" Will shouted, now truly getting upset. This man was willing to kill everyone just to prove a point.

"We're already in a war." Robin stated matter-of-factly, giving the boy a look of contempt. "And I say we strike back, at the very man who takes our homes and hurts our children."

"We? You plannin' to join us then, mate?" John teased. Robin looked at him, then to everyone in that camp. He couldn't let these people live like this. He couldn't let Nottingham get away with everything that he has.

"No... To lead you." Everyone looked surprised, but it didn't phase Robin in the slightest. These people needed someone to lead them. None of them would be able to make a battle plan, none of them knew how to handle weapons, or fight, or anything. Robin had trained for the war, and had killed countless men in it. With the proper supplies, he could teach them. Not enough to be experienced soldiers, but enough to be able to kill and defend themselves. It was the only way.

"Christian," Azeem's voice took Robin from his thoughts, "These are simple people, they are not warriors. Be careful you don't do this for you're own purposes."

"You forget yourself, Azeem, I do not ask for your company or council." And with that he stalked off, only God knew where. Ben walked up to Azeem and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Have faith in your friend, Azeem, I'm sure he would not kill us all for fun." It was meant as humor, and she was sure he tried to laugh, but the situation was far too serious to allow joy into it. She gave one last smile before she, too, walked off towards her Burrow. It had been far too long of a day, and a nap sounded perfect. Ben just hoped that when she awoke, things would be much less tense then it has become.

* * *

><p><em>Memo: I am so sorry for not posting so much lately! I just recently got a new job (yay me!) and have been working so much that I just come home and sleep most of the time, lol. But hopefully, I'll get back into the groove of writing on my days off. I can't promise a lot, but hopefully I'll be able to at least get a chapter out once a week. Keep your fingers crossed guys. And thank you all so much for sticking with me so far! You are all absolutely phenominal! xoxoxo<em>


	12. Just One Look

**Chapter 12: Just One Look**

It had only been three days since Robin had come to the camp with the stolen horse of the Sheriff of Nottingham. The tension was very high, and thick enough to cut it with a blunt knife. No one was sure how Nottingham was going to react, and it scared them to the bone. So much, that everyone had ignored Robin and his companions. Benjamina hated to admit it, but even she rejected him. She didn't want attention brought upon her, especially from the Sheriff. She was a wanted "murderer" and would receive no kindness or mercy, even if she was completely innocent. What the Sheriff says goes, and no amount of force besides the King himself could stop that. Fat chance with that pipe dream, he has not been heard of since he left for the Crusade. But it seemed that was a concept Locksley was not able to comprehend. Ben couldn't blame him though, he was strong enough to stand up to a man that she couldn't. Wanted to, but never could. Bravery was not her strongest trait, and she was too young to truly fight back when it had all happened to her at first. Even now, when she was much older and more skilled at survival, she was sure that she would still lose against that tyrant of a man.

Though she didn't much speak with Robin, Ben found it very hard to ignore Azeem. He was such an interesting man. The past couple days, he had allowed her to speak with him nearly none stop. When she was not with Wulf teaching him about archery, Ben was with the Arab speaking on multiple topics. He was a very wise man, Benjamina came to learn quickly. He was schooled in many subjects, from literature to blade mastery, and it took her by surprise that his people were able to learn such an array of curricular activities. She should have guessed as much though, her Master Erik had spoken highly of these people and he was not one to be easily impressed.

But Ben felt guilty every time they spoke, because she knew the only reason they spoke so often was because she was trying to ignore Will. Don't get her wrong, she enjoyed spending so much time with Azeem, it was so enlightening. It's just using people, if for such a minuscule thing, was not something she rather liked doing at all.. Well besides stealing money from them to survive, but that was an entirely different story. Yet every time Will came around her or even looked at her, she would dash off and get Azeem's attention in one way or another. It was a horrible thing to do, Ben knew, but truth be told she had no idea what to say to him if Will actually did approach her. Yell at him at the top of her lungs, of course, but say what? "ARRRRRGH"? Yes, that was a good argument. That would win any fight hands down! Yeah right... Will had already known why she was angry with him, what was the point of saying it again?

Men were hopeless, she concluded.

Ben sighed loudly after thinking about all of this, throwing the small stick she had been playing with into the small fire that she and Wulf were sitting by. Though small and barely considered a real bonfire, it was keeping them warm away from the burly men that were too smelly today for Ben's taste. She was only grateful that Wulf came over to give her company when she made it.

Hearing her exhale, the young boy looked up at her with a confused expression, never seeing her this low before. She was normally spacey or smiling, sometimes a little sad if thoughts of her old life were brought up, but never this... What was the word he was looking for? Depressed? Grey? Ragged? None of them really hit the mark Wulf was looking for. But he didn't like it at all. He wanted his self-proclaimed sister to be happy and smiling always. And as her self-proclaimed little brother, it was he that was going to figure out why she was down and make it better. Or at least try.

"Ben, what's wrong?" Wulf made sure his voice was low, knowing Benjamina didn't much like to show her deeper feelings to others. She always said that people have their own problems and she doesn't like to push her issues onto others. It was a silly reason, Wulf thought, because he knew everyone here was friendly and they'd do anything to help her. But he respected her wishes none-the-less. The woman in question looked up from the crackling fire to the boy to her left. His chocolate eyes reciprocated his question of concern, even though he tried to make his face as stoic as possible. Ben tried to smile as best she could.

"I'm alright sweety, just thinking is all."

"Of Will?" The question threw her off more than she ever wanted to admit. Was she really that easy to read? Pushing down the sudden bout of self-consciousness, she thought quickly of a plausible excuse.

"Um, no just thinking about.. Ya know, girl stuff." If it wouldn't have given her away even more, Ben would have slapped herself for such an idiotic excuse. If there was anything more cryptic she could have said, it would have been that. Girls think of far too many things to simple categorize it as 'girl stuff'. Plus no one should really expect Wulf, of all people, to know what girls think about. He still thought kissing was disgusting!

"Girl stuff?" Yeah, it would be too good to be true if Wulf actually went a long with what she said.

"Yeah, like um.. Dresses and shiny things?" God, make it even worse by questioning your own answer out loud. _Wonderful job you're doing, Ben. Simply bloody brilliant._ Not to mention the clever smirk forming on Wulf's face was making it very hard to keep a straight face and sound convincing.

"You _are_ thinkin' bout Will, aren't you?" With a sigh, Ben gave in.

"That obvious, huh?"

"Well, I probably would've believed you had you not said 'dresses'. I know, more than anyone here, how much you despise dresses! 'They make you trip, and when you do your knickers show, and we can't have that, can we!'" Both of them chuckled at Wulf mimicking Ben and her hatred for fancy dresses, like she was forced to wear when she was younger. But as soon as they finished laughing, Ben's face turned serious once again.

"Yeah, I'm thinking of the moron. Don't want to, but my brain seems to enjoy annoying me with such thoughts as him." A small smile played at Wulf's lips, though he tried to hide it quickly, for fear of angering his best friend if she caught him laughing at her.

"Well, maybe you're supposed to think about him?" He suggested. The words didn't register into Ben's brain at first, but when they did she was surprised. Supposed to think of him? Was this kid mad? A sly glint in her eyes appeared as her gaze caught Wulf's.

"How so?"

"Maybe it's a sign that you two should talk things over. I mean, it's been like four days, Ben, you two used to be inseparable! I think it's time you forgave him." His words dug deep inside her, right down to the core. Ben knew he was right, that this was all just her own issues being pressed upon a trivial matter. It didn't help that they were both too stubborn to speak to each other either, even if they both wanted to so badly. God, Ben hated it when Wulf was right. Darn his childish innocence and knack for clear prospective...

"I know, but he's so.. Urgh!" The words she wanted to say wouldn't come to her, and it was frustrating. Or at least, she knew the words yet said them so many times that they just weren't good enough to use anymore, or weren't the words that described him perfectly. Wulf chuckled at her and shook his head.

"Yeah, well you're 'urgh', too! That's why you both get along so well!" Ben faked an injured expression, making Wulf burst into laughter.

"Wound me so, dear Wulf! I'm not 'urgh' just like him. If anything, he's 'urgh-ier'." She said, trying to sound as dignified as one could when trying not to fall over laughing. Wulf had no such luck with that sort of restraint.

"That's not a word!"

"Is too, I just made it up." Both laughed together at there silliness, only stopping when Ben caught the sight of movement out the corner of her eyes. Turning her head to what had caught her attention, she saw Will walking up from the direction of his tent to where most of the men were gathered. Somehow, he must of felt her gaze on him because he soon looked at her, too. Their eyes met, and Ben could have sworn she felt a pull. A spark. It felt so strange, she couldn't quite explain what exactly was going on inside of her. But she was sure Will had felt it too, for he looked at her with the same bewildered expression Ben was sure she had on her face. Seconds seemed like minutes, which seems liked hours. Was this feeling guilt? No, she had felt guilt long ago, when she actually did believe it was her fault for her Master and Mistress' death. This was absolutely nothing like it. Guilt felt as if you were sinking in a deep dark pool of mud, one you never thought you could get out of. Looking into Will's eyes, she felt weightless. Almost as if she were floating down a calm river, being carried away to a place safe. How strange to feel like this..

It was Will that broke the contact, someone calling his attention elsewhere. With his hazel green eyes releasing her emerald greens, Ben inhaled deeply trying to recover from the little experience she just went through. She didn't even realize it but her heart was pounding to such a beat, one could almost dance to it. That's never happened before. They've had long glances at each other, but none that had made her feel as she just did. What is going on with her?

"Ben?" Wulf's voice pulled her from her hazed thoughts, making her think clearly again.

"I'm fine, just thinking again."

"Best be careful bought that! Father says it's dangerous for women-folk to be thinking." He teased, a giant grin spreading on his face. Ben even snickered, showing off her own devilish smirk.

"Oh you think so, huh?" She asked, sitting up and into a crouching position, leaning closer to the boy. The smile on his face grew bigger, seeing what his friend was doing.

"Yeah!" He answered in laughter, as he started to inch away from her slowly, getting read to make a get-away if she were to tr for him.

"Well, I'll show you dangerous!" She launched at him, barely missing him as he crawled out of the way just in time. "Come back here, you!" Their laughter and giggles echoed the forest, as Ben tried to capture Wulf. It didn't take long. Wulf was very fast indeed, but he didn't have Ben's agility and stamina, quickly getting tired. With a loud "umph" Wulf was tackled to the ground, nearly having the wind knocked out of him. For such a small woman, Ben was surprisingly strong. Or at least weighted a lot more then she looked. Not that he'd say that to her face. The men that were watching the pair laughed at the two, some making comments about how a girl bested John's little boy.

But the laughing stopped when everyone heard voices from a distance.

Looking to where the voices were coming, they all saw a huge group of people walking towards them. None of them looked like soldiers, in fact they all looked as if they were farmers from how dirty most of them were. Ben stood, hoisting Wulf up with her. Instantly her blood started to bubble with fear. These were people she did not know, people who didn't know her secret. Once again she would have to go into hiding, wear her bandages and speak in her deep voice. She didn't mind the hiding, but the secret itself. She was free of it once, and now she was bound by it again. Worst of all, she has now brought others into it. The men would now have to lie to all these people, just for her. If she said her conscious wasn't eating at her, then she would be a liar.

"Mum!" Wulf shouted, apparently seeing a familiar face in the crowd. In a dash, he ran off towards the woman he called after, repeating what he said until he reached her in a hug. John seemed to have followed his son, engulfing the short woman in a deadly vice of an embrace.

"Fanny!"

"John!" She didn't seem effected by his strength, and in fact seemed to have given her own strength into the hug. Ben's heart wanted to melt. This was what a family looked like, such love, such need for each other. She's was more then envious just watching all the smiles and kisses they gave each other.

"They've burnt the village, all of it!" Ben turned to the man that was speaking, a man from the newly arrived group, who's voice was strengthened with rage and weariness. Ben could all but feel it radiating off of him and most of the group as well. "Where is the 'Robin Hood'?" He asked, and she looked to the one he was talking to. Will? She hadn't even seen him approach the group. Then again, her attention was stuck on the Little family and their reunion.

Will had turned, pointing to were Robin and Azeem now sat, "He's there." The man from before looked to Robin, picking up a child that had been by his side before and turning his head so that Robin could get a perfect view of the blood that had poured down from the child's head wound.

"Look! Look what they've done!"

The Arab said something to Locksley in a hushed tone, jumping down from his seat to get away from the line of fire and death glares the mob was sending that way. Robin made no move to get out of the way, in fact he looked ready to take them all on. Ben wasn't sure if it was bravery, stupidity, or pride.

"You brought this misery on us, Locksley!" Will accused, making sure not to hide any of that hatred in his voice. Even Ben flinched at it.

"This is Nottingham, trying to divide us." Robin said confidentially, trying to convince the people that he was not the enemy. In a way, Ben could see this to be true, but she couldn't help but think that Robin made it worse far too quickly for any of them to adjust. These people weren't made for war or battles, or else they would have gone off to the Crusades with the King.

"We are divided, rich boy." Will said, spreading his arms out to indicate the group behind him, making sure Robin got the point. "I'm not as blind as that old man over there. You're still trying to be lord of the manor. I heard today that the sheriff now values your neck at five hundred gold pieces." He turned to the audience, trying to see if what he said had had any effect on them as it did him when he first heard of the bounty. With that kind of money, none of them would starve for awhile. They could save up, make sure that during the winter months they would be well provided for. Especially now since all these people had arrived. "I say we take him in!" Many of the people hollered their approval, and it nearly tore Ben apart. Were people so willing to sell others out for food? Were they savages now? Not to mention how much it hurt that Will was so willing to hand over someone for money. Ben's bounty was 100 gold pieces when she was 15, she didn't even know how much it was now. Would he turn her in too if he knew how much her head was worth?

"Will, do you think that the sheriff will give everything back when I'm gone?" It was a just question, Ben knew, and he was right to ask of it. That man could hardly be trusted, and anyone who thought different was a fool to think otherwise. These people had to realize that before they made any rash and moves.

"They'll give us the reward and our pardons." This time, Ben openly scoffed. Everyone's attention turned to her, and for once she didn't shy away from the gazes, even though there were probably about 50 plus people there now.

"He'd rather paint his courtyard in blood before he hands out money freely." As dark and morbid as it was, it was the truth.

"Young Ben is right. He'll stretch your necks one by one." Robin jumped down from the fallen tree he was sitting on, taking a few steps towards the people, showing he was far from afraid of them.

"Well, what will you have us do? Fight men on horse backs with rocks and our bare hands?" Will was getting irritated now. Robin thought he was so smart, didn't he? He just had all the answers for everything. God, Will would rather be talking to Nottingham with a noose around his neck than this narcissistic dirtbag! He even got Ben to agree with him, which did not settle Will's nerves at all. Ben was HIS best friend! Not Robin's! She was supposed to side with him!

"If it needs to be." Robin stepped even closer to Will, looking down his nose at him. One would think that Robin was belittling the boy. "But with the one true weapon that escapes you, Will. Courage." Turning around, Robin walked away, hoping to get higher so that he could see everyone and everyone could see him. What he didn't see, though, was the look of pure hatred on Will's face as he walked away. Nor did he see Will take out one of his knives and aim it right at his back. But Ben saw, and so did Wulf.

"Will, no!"

"Look out!"

Before Will had time to put force into the throw, Robin had turned, bow drawn and arrow notched, firing at Will. _**THUD!**_ The arrow was protruding out of Will's hand, his knife lay on the forest floor. There was nothing said, only a few gasps and worried looks, as Will ran off into the forest after a poisonous look to Locksley. Ben watched him leave, heart breaking for him ever step he took away from her. Everything around her phased out. She didn't see Robin thank Wulf for warning him and jump back on and address the people, she didn't hear anything that was said, all she knew was that she had to get to Will to help him. Weaving though the people, the only thing she heard at all from Robin was: "Then, by God, we take it back."

* * *

><p>Will wasn't in his hut when she looked, nor was he in her Burrow, nor was he by the lake where they first met at. Some would be at a loss as to where Mister William Scarlet would be. But Ben knew him better than anybody ever would, and knew exactly where her friend was at. As she made her way to the river, Ben saw Will sitting on their tree that hung over the water where they always fished at. He was clutching his hand, looking out to the water. Closer and closer she got, and when she was nearly at the tree, she heard sniffling. He was crying. <em>The poor dear<em>, she thought. Robin didn't need to humiliate him like that, the conversation could have gone much better if he had treated Will as an equal instead of a child. Then again, Robin was probably in his late thirties, so compared to that, Will was pretty young indeed. Not to mention Will could have stopped being an ass, but besides all that..

"Will?" She spoke softly, hoping not to startle him too much. She knew that she didn't make much noise coming here, and she was not visible to his peripheral view. Being in the wild and constantly worried of soldiers and guards coming after you made people kind of jumpy and paranoid. But when Ben said his name, he wasn't startled nor did he turn towards her. Will just continued to look out to the water. A delicate hand settled on his left shoulder, and he finally turned his head a little to look up at her. Those beautiful hazel green eyes of his were much more vibrant and reflected more green, most likely because the whites of his eyes were red and puffy from crying.

Sitting down, she gently took his hand, hoping not to hurt him further. Looking at it carefully, she saw that it wasn't bleeding extensively, most likely because the arrow is blocking the blood from flowing out.

"Well, it's definitely going to scar." There was no response, he only just stared at his hand with no emotion on his face. "I'm going to take it out.. It's going to hurt, Will." Still he said nothing at all, and she took this as an approval to continue. Using both hands, one hand near the base of Will's hand and the other near the end of the arrow, with a quick hand jerk, the arrow snapped between her hands. Throwing the tail feather end into the river, she turned to Will. There was a little pain in his expression, most likely the vibration from the breaking arrow that caused a bit of discomfort, but not a lot of pain. She grabbed the arrow head and pulled it out, trying not to hurt him any further. Will hissed as the arrow slide out of his hand, then groaned again as Ben pressed down on both ends with some sort of rag to stop the bleeding. Keeping the pressure to his hand, she took out bandaging from a pocket, wrapping it around his hand tightly so that the linen stays in place.

"Hope you don't mind, but these were the only bandages I have. I know its kind of awkward but I'm sure its the best anyone could come up with and-"

"Why are you doing this, Ben?" He said, voice raspy from his sadness or pain, she wasn't sure.

"Why not?" She answered honestly, continuing to bind his hand, making sure to tie it into a tight knot so that it won't come undone anytime soon.

"The last time we spoke, didn't exactly end on good terms.." He was looking at her now, though she was not looking at him. Too afraid to look into his sad eyes, knowing she couldn't truly do anything to help besides wrap his injury.

"You are my best friend, Will, no matter how mad I am at you." With all her strength, she mustered the courage to look at him, just to give him a lop-sided smile. Will tried to return it, but it was weak and fell from his face quickly. How could she blame him after what had happened to him today?

"What did I say that caused you to get so angry with me, Ben? I didn't mean to, I swea-"

"I know, I know.." She pat his injured and softly, hoping to show how sincere she was being. "It's just..You have a brother, Will, a chance at a family. It may be a broken one, but it can easily be fixed if you two just work at it."

"We can nev-"

"Just let me finish, please." She did not shout, but the gentle sternness of her voice quieted him quickly. "It can be fixed, if you wanted it to be. But I.. I can never get that chance, Will. My entire family is dead. Everyone I had ever loved was taken from me in a single night, and I don't even have the chance like you do. Even though he is only your half brother, he is family none the less. Even if it is just one person... You have everything I ever want." A single tear rolled down her cheek, though she tried hard not to allow any others to flow. "And the fact that you so willingly cast it aside, not caring what a gift that you had been given. It hurt me deeply, because I would do anything to have even just one of them still with me." Will lifted his unharmed hand, wiping the single tear from her face, even letting his hand linger their to gently caress her face. His thumb played soft circle on her cheek, making Ben close her eyes at the tenderness of the gesture. When he stopped, it took even more strength then looking at him not to ask him to continue.

"I didn't think of it like that at all." He admitted, making Ben chuckle lightly.

"I shouldn't have expected you to. It's not like I told you how I felt about it."

"You shouldn't have to tell me. I boast that we are the best of mates, and yet I can't think of how my words and actions affect you. What kind of friend am I?" The shame of his revelation was heavy in his tone. God, she was making him feel worse instead of making it better. What kind of friend was _she_?

"You will be the best of friends if you forgive me for getting so cross with you. You didn't need that, and I shouldn't have snapped at you like I did." A sweet smile spread on her lips as she tried to lighten the mood, if only a little bit. It was contagious, because soon Will had a true smile on his face as well.

"Only if you forgive me for being an idiot." Will playfully bumped his shoulder into hers, making them both chuckle.

"Hmn, I don't think I can do that, you tend to be an idiot quite a lot. Forgiving you for that will be taking on a heroic task."

"Oh ha ha ha!" He poked her side, making her wiggle and laugh, trying to slap at his hand to stop. After he ceased tickling her, and she calmed down from her laughter, Will looked at his friend. Just looked at her, and couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. Ben, who had been checking his hand to make sure it wasn't bleeding through the wrappings, looked up to see him grinning like a fool.

"What?" Suddenly feeling very self-conscious about the way she looked, trying not to touch her face or smooth her hair down.

"You are the most amazing friend I have ever had, Benjamina Rouge." Now it was her time to smile, added with a pinkish blush to her cheeks. She bumped her shoulder against his, repaying him for his earlier one.

"As you are the most treasured one I have, William Scarlet."

"Ben?"

"Yes?"

"We're you're family now. And you'll never lose us." His words, proven true just by the look in his eyes, swelled Ben's heart so that it almost hurt to smile as much as she was. Without any thought to it at all, she kissed Will on the cheek and hugged him tightly.

"I know that now." She whispered into his ear. Will didn't quite hear in, thinking too much about how his cheek was tingling where her lips had kissed..

* * *

><p><em>Memo: It seems time between stories are getting longer. I just hope this doesnt become a habit or it'll drive me crazy lol. I thank you all: to those who are still with me, who've stuck by me, and those who are now just joining along. Hope you all enjoy it! xxoxoxooxoxoxox<em>


	13. The Beginnings of Home

**Chapter 13: The Beginnings of Home**

It seemed that Robin of Locksley's words had taken great affect on everyone in their little, now very populated, camp. A new hope seemed to kindle inside of each person, making it nigh impossible to dampen their spirits. No matter what must be done to make life in Sherwood easier, or how hard the work my be, they all were excited to contribute without a care in the world. That in itself was something that would make one proud. And it wasn't just the people who seemed excited to start working. Robin was everywhere at once, drawing up plans in the dirt for certain people to do, discussing goals with others, dreaming up ideas for the future and even collecting materials with the rest of the members for the building process. He wasn't just the man who gave the orders, the leader, he was also a worker as well. Even Azeem, who many didn't trust or didn't come near without making a snide remark of being a foreign heathen, tried his best to help with the plans using his vast knowledge and skills. They may not like him very much, but they all had to admit, the Arab's plans and thoughts were more helpful then any would have guessed.

Even in the first day, much was being done in the production of the new and improved base. Every single person in the camp, even the children, went out into the forest to gather materials for the building. The strongest of the group would gather large fallen tree branches and pile them up to be chopped to easier to handle pieces. Others would gather smaller stave-like wood or dried sticks for firewood or other uses. Some would gather straw or dried grass for the thatch rooves, while others would collect long grass to create a sort of make-shift rope and binding for the materials. The children and those watching them would forage for food and water, putting it all in wee baskets and buckets to be separated by the rest. Robin, personally, made sure that everyone had a job to do and that no one was left or wasn't given work. Much to Will's disappointment, because he knew the spoiled lord would make sure he would have one of the worst jobs.

"I don't see why we have to look for food.. The children and women are doing that already, aren't they? It's not like they need any more help, they're capable enough.." Will whined, skimming the ground carelessly as he stepped over a multitude of twigs and dirt mounds. Benjamina chuckled lightly at her friend, knowing it wasn't the work itself that had angered Will, but the fact that Robin had forced him to 'pick berries' though the young man expressed his desire to help John and the other men to collect logs and large branches. Manly work, of course. He even came close to begging. But Robin had turned him down, saying that everyone who was gathering the huge wooden materials had already left and were deep in the forest, so he appointed Will, Ben and Wulf to go in a group to find some more food with some of the women and children. Ben and Wulf didn't mind at all that they were saddled with the easy work. They even made a game of it. Whoever collected the most food items would get three gold pieces. Not a lot to some folk and not really to them either, for what were they, a young boy and w woman disguised as a man, going to spend it on? But it made the harvesting much more interesting, even fun, if you could call it that.

"Well, it could have been much worse." She said, bending down to inspect a small bush to see if anything edible was growing on it's branches. Ben was fortunate to be experienced in the area of foraging. At the Western Manor, the kitchen ladies brought her out with them when they went scavenging for herbs and food. They taught her what to pick, what not to pick, what was good and what would make you stay in the loo for three days getting rid of everything that had ever entered your body since you were a toddler. Not to mention being able to teach Wulf everything she knew was an enjoyable experience in and of itself. The boy was smart, despite his lack of schooling, and remembered much.

"How could it be worse than this? Digging in the dirt to find nuts and berries that will barely feed three of us?" Will said, rolling his eyes at Ben's attempt to lighten the mood. It was a nice gesture, but the young man was far to aggravated to even try to think 'on the bright side'. "Should be out with John and Bull, helping them bring in the heavy stuff.. The important stuff." He mumbled to himself as he picked up a small stick from the ground and swinging it around like a sword, sometimes hitting a plant that was tall enough to reach, thinking it as Robin's head he was hacking at.

"You could be collecting manure to fertilize the crops." A smirk tugged at her lips as she looked up at him from her crouched position. A little snigger came from the boy beside them.

"With your bare hands!" Now they both were laughing, seeing Will's face contort with disgust. He had to admit, that would have been much worse then foraging for food..

"Either that or you could have just been left behind entirely, feeling completely useless." The female said, standing after finding nothing among the brush, patting herself off from the dust and dirt that had collected on her breeches whilst on the ground. "Be grateful, Will, we're doing the most important work of them all. May not be heavy lifting, or very strenuous work, but that doesn't mean it's pointless. How will any of the men be able to have the energy to lift everything if they do not have food? We could build the most grandest of camps, but how long would we last without nourishment?" Will looked down, nodding softly as he realized that what she spoke was truth. They needed food, more now with all the people that came. Sure, they had brought 6 chickens and 2 goats, but that wasn't going to feed everyone for long. He felt fingers at his chin, lifting his head to see that it was Ben who held him. She had a soft smile on her lips and sweetness in her eyes, making Will instantly melt and return her smile. Ben didn't have to say anything to him at all, it was all said in her look. _Smile, and be happy. For me, please_. Will didn't have to try when it came to being near her. But it was because they were the best of friends, right?

"Ben, Will! Look over here!" Wulf's shouting made both of them look over to where the young boy's voice came from, to see him waving his arms, jumping up and down. The two laughed at the sight, and walked over to their friend.

"What is it, Wulf?" Ben's voice was gentle and full of caring, anyone could tell how much she adored the boy. He was as close to family Ben has had in years. Not that she didn't consider the others as family, but Wulf was far closer to her than many of them could ever get. Wulf was the little brother that Benjamina had always wanted, but could never have.

"Look! Down in the little valley!" He pointed down a small hill to a gathering of bright green, healthy looking bushes spread all over the forest floor. At first, they were utterly confused at what the boy was showing them, since it all pretty much resembled the rest of the forest, covered in greenery. Until Ben caught a glimpse of bright red in between some of the leaves. Heart skipping a beat, Ben squinted her eyes, taking a few steps forward, hoping that it would confirm her hopes.

"Is it...?" Sentenced unfinished, her eyes widened instantly when she saw one single red berry in plain sight. Without uttering another word, she ran down the hill, not caring at how steep it was or that she could fall.

"Ben, watch out!" Will shouted, suddenly worried at what was going on. Both boys slowly descended the hill, trying to get some steady footing and wondering how in God's name the girl did not trip at all with such a quickened pace. Will had to grab a hold of a small tree sprouting up, just to stop him from slipping down the hill like a slide. Finally down at the bottom safely, they saw Ben rummaging through the small bushes till she found what she was looking for. Pulling her hands out of the foliage, they saw a plump, red berry held in her fingers gently, almost in reverence.

"Strawberries!" Wulf said excited, immediately jumping to another bush to grab all the ripe ones he could find. Will chuckled at the boy and his innocent excitement, wishing he was that young again. Oh, the joys of ignorance and unlimited energy, never truly caring about what others thought, just as long as you were having fun. Yeah, those were the days alright. But Will looked away from his younger friend to turn and look at his female friend. But turning, Will discovered, was one of the worst mistakes of his life. His entire body stopped dead as he watched Ben take a bite out of the strawberry she held, savouring the taste as she chewed it sinfully slow. Her eyes closed in ecstasy, enjoying every second the strawberry was in her mouth before she swallowed and took another bite. Something in Will's head told him to look away, that she was just eating a berry and that there is nothing wrong with that. Everybody loves strawberries! It's not uncommon in the least for her to be enjoying one. Until she let out a quiet moan, that he had the great misfortune of hearing, very clearly. Almost too clearly. In as little as three seconds, Will became very nervous of Ben, especially now as she opened her eyes, and locked them onto Will like a hunter would to prey. Smiling in complete euphoria up at him, Ben stood and began walking in his direction, careful not to step on any of the other berry bushes. He wanted to pivot and run, to get as far away as possible, but he had no idea why. Will had never felt like this with Ben before, never this hesitant and jumpy. Each step she took towards him made his heart beat faster and faster, making his chest feel like it was about to explode. Four small strides and she was in front of him with such a wistful grin and elated gaze, it was hard for him to turn his eyes away from her when she looked at him like that.

"Here," She lifted her other hand that had an uneaten strawberry, "Have one! They're sweet and delicious!" _Like you?_ He wanted to ask, but stopped his mouth from saying it just in time. Why had he wanted to say that?! Of all things to say to his **best friend**! Maybe he was sick? Maybe his wound was infected and he was being delirious? When they get back to camp, he was going to make sure to ask Fanny to check his- Thoughts were interrupted by something smooth touching his lips, and when he finally focused once again, there was Ben lightly placing the strawberry before his mouth to take a bite. She didn't seem at all phased by the fact that she was feeding him, in fact it was almost like she was enjoying it, opening her mouth slightly to show him how to eat it like one would do with a child. In normal situations, he would have been insulted with the fact she was treating him like a child, but his brain wasn't exactly working to well as of late. Will was sure, if he tried to say anything, it would come out incoherent mumbles and make him look like a fool.

But her expression was too serene, too happy not to take her offer. If he didn't, what if it would offend her and make her sad or angry? Tentatively, he leaned forward to taste the berry in her hands, biting all the way down to the green crown that she was holding. He never took his eyes off of hers, even as he bit down far enough that her fingers touched his lips and sent shudders down his spine, all the way down to his toes. And when he leaned back to chew the sweet fruit, she grinned widely, completely unaware of his thoughts and feelings. Thank God... But what really took the cake, was when, unbeknownst to him, a little bit of the red juice was still on his lips. Ben gently ran her velvety thumb over his bottom lip to remove the stain. She did it so tenderly, that Will was grateful his body just went into shock and couldn't move, or his legs would have given way.

"Come on, we can gather the ones that are ready and then keep looking for more food. I'm sure this forest has many more goodies for us to plunder." Ben said, turning from her friend to continue picking the delicacies. Will internally thanked whoever was looking out for him that he now had something to take his mind off the strange thoughts he was having. It should be wrong to think of a friend like how he did. _Then again, it should be wrong to eat any sort of food that intimately_, Will thought as an image of her eating the strawberry ran through his head. Instantly regretting it. _Think about something else!_ And for the remainder of the time they picked, Scarlet thought of nothing else but strangling Locksley with his own scarf when he got back, blaming him for his recent hysteria.

After Wulf's hand-made basket was full to over flowing, as well as his and Ben's shirt-baskets stuffed, they ventured a little more through the forest, though they had come up with nothing besides a few wild berry bushes here and there that barely had anything ripe enough to pick. So deciding that what they had was enough, and hoping the others were more successful, the three made their way back to camp with their spoils of exploration.

* * *

><p>It appeared, much to their relief, as they entered the area some time later, that everyone''s search-and-gather missions had come up very fruitful indeed.<p>

Lumber and wood was spread out in all the places that would be in need of it, a huge pile of grass and hay to soon be worked on, and woman and children placing baskets full of food that were close to over flowing. Walking to the area with the food, the three relieved themselves of their cache, feeling accomplished that they had gathered so much themselves. And the best part, was that the others were just as blessed at finding a food source as they were. In other baskets, there were pears, apples, plums, almonds and other nuts, as well as saplings of each tree to have for their own growing, a multitude of baskets full of an assortment of berries and herbs for flavour and spices, and it also seemed that someone had found some rhubarb stalks. The sight was pleasuring, as it meant that they had quite a bit of food, and wouldn't have to worry about starving for awhile like Will had generally been concerned about.

Once everyone was present and accounted for, the work was started. Many were sure that what was gathered wouldn't be enough materials to finish everything just yet, but Robin wanted to begin building with what they had. Gather in the morning, and build into the night, and get as much done as quickly and efficiently as possible: that was the plan. With Robin instructing everyone on what to do and how to do it , they all set to the jobs they were given. Robin had envisioned a 'forest village', one with houses both on the ground as well as in the trees on supported platforms. It was a curious thing, since no one has ever really heard of something like it before, but with Robin's assuring words, everyone was eager to set to work and see if it were really possible.

Some of the women and older men would begin on a farm area on the ground. Making cages and pens for the animals to stay in so that they could start farming the goats' milk and chicken eggs, and hopefully being able to add more animals in later. They took strong yet thin sticks as the fences and cage walls, tying them with long dried grass, while hay would be placed inside the area for the goats, as well as seeds kept for the chickens. They even decided on making a shelter for the animals to be in, in case of rain or cold weather.

Another job was to start making the rope ladders to climb up the trees with. Some of the farmers knew how to hand -twist strong rope for long and durable use. It was meant to be a way for people to easily be able to get up and down from ground to trees, and also be able to make sure if intruders came along, they could make it impossible for them to follow those who lived in the camp up when they pulled up the ladders or cut them down. When the ladders were finished, a few of the men would start on the platforms, tying the larger wood pieces together as well as support beams so that it wouldn't be simple to break them. Bridges were to be created after that, so that travel from platform to platform wouldn't be going down to the ground and up another ladder. It would be tough work, since the logs and such were so heavy, even when cut down a size, but the men worked diligently without complaints. They were built for tough work as this.

Thatch rooves would be made for the homes that were being built on the ground and trees by a few people who couldn't work laborious tasks. It was a fast and effortless job, so many ground houses would be completed quickly. Those building the huts promised a work that would look almost professionally done. Of course, they had been building these types of homes for years, and knew good quality huts and how to build them. It was reassuring, especially for the women who had children to think about and didn't want them to be victims to the ever changing elements of England.

As for the women and children, they would sit and sort out the food that had been collected by everyone. Each item of food would get it's own container then placed in the food hutch once the ladies would be done sorting. If any item of food over-flowed their baskets, then more baskets would be made and the filled ones would then go into their storage shed.

And it was this job that Ben and Wulf found themselves working, while Will went off to help the men in the trees.

"So, you're the one that looked after me boy, huh?" Asked the plump woman, Fanny, who sat next to Ben and Wulf, smiling kindly at the young woman. Ben returned the smile, though feeling slightly nervous around her. She knew she had no reason to be, as she had heard so much good things about the woman from both Wulf and John, but Ben feared that Fanny may not like her and would refuse to allow Wulf to be with her. Irrational as it may be, as Fanny was probably the nicest woman Ben had ever met outside of Western Manor, Ben couldn't stop the butterflies bouncing around her stomach out of fear.

"Yes, it seems Wulf has grown on me quite a bit. He was the first one who truly excepted me for who I was." Wulf blushed at her comment, making the women next to him laugh heartily, which only made the pink cheeks turn into an entirely red face.

"Aye, he's such a sweet boy. My first boy, and I couldn't be more proud of him." Fanny sent a loving grin to her boy, who looked up from his work just to give his mum a sweet smile of his own. It was short-living though, as he quickly turned back to his work, so not to seem like a mother's-boy and embarrass himself further.

"Must have been hard to allow him to come out here without you."

"Oh aye! Nearly cried me-self dry the first week. But John would take care of him as best he could. So as much as I worried, I knew he was safe." A few moments of silence went by before Fanny suddenly stopped throwing food into it's assorted basket, looking confused. "What you mean 'Wulf was the first to accept you'? The others weren't hard on you were they?" At first, Ben was taken aback by the random question, but then remembered what she had said early, laughing at herself for her forgetfulness.

"Oh gosh, no! They all welcomed me with open arms, even after I stole from them. No, it's just.." Ben paused, trying to think if it would be wise to tell the others that she was a woman. But then, thinking of it, they were all now housing Robin, who was being charged for murder as well. What would be the point in keeping her identity a secret anymore? It's not like anything worse could happen to them now, seeing as Nottingham probably forgot all about her in his hatred for Robin. Ben looked over at Wulf, who somehow knew her internal war, and just nodded his head with a small twitch of a smile. She made up her mind. "It's just that, I'm actually a girl." Fanny's eyes widened a little, doing a double take. "When I came here, I was dressed as a boy so that I could hide better from Nottingham-"

"Rottingham!" Wulf interjected, with a laugh.

"Ha, yes 'Rottingham', but then after I stole some money from Bull and Much that was meant to go to the men, they came after me and asked me to join them since I was all alone out here in Sherwood. Wulf discovered I was a girl and kept my secret." Ben affectionately ruffled Wulf's hair, making sure he saw the warm smile she sent his way. "But when the men finally found out, they still accepted me, so I'm in debt to all of them."

"Why was you hidin' from the Sheriff, love?" Fanny asked, concern clearly etched on her face. This woman clearly had a mother's instinct that wasn't beholden just to her children. Part of Ben didn't want to tell Fanny, not wanting to bring up the memory on purpose, but she knew that talking about it would make her feel better. Bottling things that strongly emotional was like trying to dam up a raging river. It may help for a little, but soon it would break and spill out in chaos. It was something Lady Adelaide always told her when she noticed that Ben had become withdrawn from depression or anger. At the time, it seemed such a silly thing, but Ben had come to realize after her 'breakdown' with Will that what her Lady said was far more serious that what had she thought.

"I was framed for the murder of my..Family." The words were hard to say, but once they rolled off of her tongue, it wasn't as bad as one would think. It seemed to have been getting easier the more she spoke of it to people. But Fanny could see the pain on Ben's face, and she felt horrible for prying it out of the poor girl. A warm and reassuring hand was placed on the young woman's shoulder, as well as a loving smile given to her.

"You've got family 'ere, love." Ben's smile instantly grew bigger, remembering Will's words yesterday. But before she could say another word, a group of young children came running from God only knows where, screaming and laughing as they chased each other. "Hey you lot!" Fanny shouted to the children, getting their attention like trained dogs would to their master. "Get your wee lil behinds over 'ere and help your mum with these berries!" It was now Ben's turn to widen her eyes looking at the sheer number of them all.

"They're all yours?!" Fanny gave a proud smile as all the youngsters came walking over just to sit down next to the ginger haired woman.

"Aye, seven of 'em, and an eighth one on the way." She said, rubbing her very pregnant belly. "This here's Matthew, Bethany, Ethan, Jeremiah, Joanna and Susanna." Each name she said, she patted them softly on the head, and each one looked up at Ben and either waved or grinned brightly. Most of them looked very much like their mother, with either ginger hair or their uncanny face resemblance, though Matthew and Wulf looked almost exactly like their father, right down to the dark hair and tanned skin. "Each one my lil drops o' heaven... On some days." Both woman laughed together while the children just looked at each other in confusion, not sure what their mother had meant. But like any child, their attention lost focus and they all began tossing berries or nuts into the baskets like a little game.

"Benjamina!" A very male voice shouted from behind, drawing the young woman's attention to see Robin walking towards her. Silently apologizing to Fanny, she excused herself, getting up to meet Robin half way. "Benjamina, I've a question to ask you. Is that alright or are you rather busy?" He asked cordially, making her nearly laugh. She hadn't been treated this way in a very long time. A gentleman to a lady, it's felt like decades.

"Of course, Robin, what is it?" Part of her felt good in Robin's presence. Though he caused a lot of trouble, he was well educated, like herself. And as much as she loved all her friends in the forest, many of them didn't know common manners or the ways of propriety, which she admittedly missed. Robin was like a cold drink after drinking sun warmed water for so long.

"I've heard from some of the men that you are rather skilled with archery, yes?"

"Yes, I learned how to use one when I was very young. I wouldn't say I'm a master at the skill, but I wouldn't consider myself a novice either." Ben tried hard not to allow the pride in her voice to sound like boasting or some sort of competition. She was a humble person, not really caring if she was better at a skill then someone else, and she would hate for someone to get the wrong idea of her.

"Good, when we get the equipment I would like you to help train the men how to shoot a bow and arrow. Hopefully, they won't have to use it too often, but I'd rather them learn then be unprepared." His voice was soft and dauntless, giving off the aura of the leader that he was.

"Right, 'rather be safe then sorry'."

"Exactly." He grinned at the young woman, happy that she understands him. Many had been asking him question after question, unsure of what Locksley had meant with many of the things he said. It was good to see someone able to fathom what he was saying at all besides Azeem.

"Yes, I can do that-"

"Excellent! Now it shouldn't take too long, Alexander says he is in contact with a man that will be able to deliver some armory tools so that we may make our own weapons, so be ready when we finally have everything. You'll be training a few groups a day, so I'll want you to prepare yourself for the task. I expect nothing less from such a dependable young woman!"

"Yes, of course. And Robin, I'm exceptionally good at fencing, I could teach the men something of that as well." He seemed to have considered it for a few seconds before shaking his head softly.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but with me helping the men build the village, I'm too busy to teach them archery myself, so I need someone with your talent to do it in my place until everything is settled." Ben looked a little disappointed at first, but nodded her head in comprehension. Surprisingly, the sadness in her expression caused Robin to feel a tad guilty, as she seemed rather excited about fencing. "Besides, we've no fencing swords." He joked, trying to make her smile, even just a little. It worked, though he didn't know it was a forced smile. Feeling accomplished, he softly patted her on the shoulder, thanking her, and walked away back to work with the confident stride he always seemed to have.

Ben watched him as he left and couldn't help feel the discouragement rise up once again. As much as she felt honoured that Robin had so much faith in her abilities to allow her to teach the others, there was no denial that she would rather be fencing. Though he really did have a point, there were no fencing equipment around, and swords were far to heavy in her opinion to pull off most of the stratagem she knew. Besides, thinking about it now, these men and women probably couldn't maneuver correctly to even fence.

"Hey, you okay?" Ben turned to see Will walking up to her, wiping some sweat from his brow. He had been working hard since they returned, and when the men stopped working to get ready to eat, he had heard Robin calling out to Ben, even calling her 'Benjamina', no less. At first, a surge of jealously ripped through him at seeing Robin so close to her. Why? He didn't know, or refused to acknowledge why, but when he saw the downcast expression she had when Locksley left, Will had to make sure the man hadn't said anything to insult her. So he came over to clean up whatever mess Locksley had created, though most likely didn't know he did. Arrogant ninny...

"Oh, yeah I'm fine!" She said, sounding a little too fake, even to herself. Will's eyebrow raised, and Ben knew that she hadn't convinced him in the slightest. Then again, how could she when she sounded like that. A child could act better then that!

"What did Locksley say to you?" The tone of Will's voice was delicate and caring, but with how well she knew him, she could hear the threat in his voice. Not to her, but to Robin. Ben knew that if he continued to think something was wrong, another incident like Will's hand may happen. And she knew she would only blame herself if it did.

"It's really nothing, Will. He asked me if I could teach the men some archery when we get some bows and arrows to practice with." Will nodded his head, looking off to where Robin had walked away, then looked back to her confused.

"But isn't that a good thing? You're amazing with a bow. I'm sure the men will learn a lot from you." Ben couldn't stop the blush that creeped to her cheeks at his compliment, and quickly looked down at her feet to stop him from seeing it. It was strange, Robin had complimented her nearly the same way only moments ago, and it did not have the same effect as Will's compliment did just now. _Curious.._

"Well yes, I just..Really miss fencing." Will was caught off guard.

"You can fence?"

"Yes, even better then I can shoot. Master Eric taught me.. It was our favourite thing to do during the day when I was done with my lessons." A ghost of a smile graced her face as she looked off into space, searching for the past almost. "Lady Adelaide used to get so cross with him, too. He would stand there in the doorway, just waiting til my lessons were done. And no matter how long she would try to extend them, just to get him to become annoyed or impatient, he would stay there with a patience to rival anyone. And the moment I was done, we would shoot off down the hall to change and get ready. And for the rest of the day, til supper time, we would practice. I had gotten so good at it too, especially for such a young age. Lord Eric even made me a custom made sword for my birthday.."

"Well, where is it? I'd love to see it!" The smile she once had faded, though she tried hard to keep it, making it look as fake as the one she had given to Robin when he spoke to her.

"It's still at the Manor, I.. I couldn't bring it with me." Her voice was just as weak as her smile, and Will knew that it was bringing back a lot of painful memories. But she shook her head, then smiled, almost genuinely, at her friend. "Well we better get back to work, huh? Everything isn't going to get done by itself, is it?" She gently brushed a hand on Will's shoulder before she walked back over to Fanny and Wulf, Will watching her walk away from him.

That tiny moment of her nostalgia was something special to her, he could tell. A memory that didn't make her break down and cry like so many of her memories would do. He wanted to do something for her, make her happy like she used to be when she was younger and in that memory. Make her smile, a real smile. In a moment, an epiphany came to him, and he hoped to whoever was looking down on him that the old coot would know. Running all over camp, he finally found the person he was looking for, sitting underneath a tree, blindly staring off into space as if in a trance.

"Hey, Duncan!" Will shouted as he got closer, causing the old man to jump at his name being called, holding onto his walking stick for some sort of reassurance, nearly hyperventilating. Looking at the state of him, Will felt instantly guilty. As much as he hated Robin, Duncan and Azeem had done nothing to cause his anger, nor would he blame them for the cretin that is Robin of Locksley. "Sorry.."

"Quite alright, Master Scarlet. I-is there something you need?" He asked in a weak voice, looking blindly towards where Will's voice was coming from.

"Yeah, just curious about something that I'm hoping you can help me with, if that's alright with you?" Will crouched down next to the blind man, making sure to lower his voice so that only Duncan and himself could hear the conversation. Duncan seemed to notice the decrease in volume as well, as he scooted a little closer to Will's voice to try and hear it. His ears weren't what they used to be, after all.

"Of course, Master Scarlet! What can I assist you with?" He seemed rather excited to be asked this, and Will could only guess that it was because he felt so helpless. Being so used to helping the Locksley family and now he could barely do anything at all, it must be hard on the poor man. This must have been the first time in awhile since somebody has asked for his help.

"Well, You know the area pretty well, right? Like a lot of the other manors and houses of great stature and power?" The question threw off Duncan a little, wondering why a man like Will Scarlet, who clearing had very little regard for those of a wealthy background, would want to know this at all. But, so used to doing as he was told, Duncan nodded to the young man.

"Why, yes I suppose I do. Lord Locksley, God rest his soul, would speak to many of the other nobles and would bring me along when visiting one'd estate."

"Good! So, do you happen to know where Western Manor would be?" A sly smirk forming on Will's lips.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Memo:<strong>__ I think this one was really fun to write because a lot of it's __in Will's pov which I don't think I do enough of really. Plus I like making him all confused and embarrassed its so cute lol. And just a note, I've no idea what Fanny and John's kids' names are, I just gave them some. Well, hope you all enjoyed this one, ended with a tease lol Thank you all so much for staying me with! You all are amazing! xoxoxoxo_

_PS: Dalonega Noquisi, thank you soooo much for you're reviews! You are absolutely brilliant :D xox  
><em>


	14. Rubra Aurora Surgit

**Chapter 14: Rubra Aurora Surgit.**

"Alrighty men, it's now time to see if what I've been teaching you has actually sunk into those heads of yours'. We've already talked about the parts of the bow and arrow, as well as how to assemble each one. Now, you are going to learn how to fire one." Benjamina Rouge shouted to the group of men gathered around her and her make-shift target range. There were about 8 'students' total in this gathering, just her afternoon group for the day. So far she had been training three groups, one in the morning, one in the noon time and one in the evening, all of which had about 8 to 12 men in each. The number of attendants all depended on who was working on the village or out with Robin in robbing the rich. But all of them were very obedient and eager to learn what she was teaching them. Not all of them caught on as fast as others, but with Wulf helping as Ben's official assistant, it made it a lot simpler to handle every one of them and help them along. Once again, Wulf became her hero.

"Um, question?" One of the men asked, raising his hand awkwardly to get Ben's attention. Looking at him, Ben saw that it was Bull who raised his hand. It was rather surprising to see him in some of her training sessions, as Much and him were normally anywhere John or Robin was, and were nearly inseparable from each other. Ben was happy that he attempted to learn though, even if he was one of the worst students she's probably ever had. It's not that he was dumb, he just became easily distracted, not listen, and ask the same questions over and over again. He'd get it in time, just quite a bit of time with a few repeats..

"Yes Bull, what is it?" He lowered his hand when she acknowledged him, looking around to see that all eyes were on him.

"Well, why are we going to set them on fire? I mean, I seen flamin' arrows before, but not flamin' bows.." Some of the men tried to hide their laughter at Bull's question, even Ben was having a hard time in doing keeping herself from letting out a giggle. But she shook her head with a grin and answered him.

"No, Bull, we are going to fire the arrows, as in _shoot_ them." He looked down in consideration, then nodded his head when he finally understood what had been said.

"Oh! Right, right." With another shake of her head, Ben continued on with her lesson.

"Okay, gents. You all have your bows and arrow quivers at your feet, filled with arrows?" All of the students nodded as they checked themselves. "Good, now each one of you should have about 10 arrows in each quiver, may you please check to see if you have that number?" Now normally she wouldn't go through so much preparation but it was severely needed when it came to these men. If she didn't, there would be complications in the middle that would just take time out of teaching. Not to mention precious time that could be spent helping each one better themselves just a little more. After each confirmed they had everything they needed, the true teaching began. "Good. Now, stances everyone, just like we rehearsed. Well done, notch the arrow, then draw back and aim. _Do not_ fire til you are told!" Ben waited til each one of them had done as she instructed, looking at every one critically to make sure none of them were making any mistakes. "Jacob, lift your elbow. It's slouching too far down. You want to make sure your arm is parallel with the bottom part of your ear, and your hand drawing the arrow back is touching your cheek. If it is not this way, your arrow will be shot incorrectly and miss the target, most likely hurting yourselves or others." After a few more moments of personally helping some of them hold it correctly, everyone was ready for the next step.

"So far so good." Wulf whispered to her, both looking at the men as they all faced the hand made stuffed targets. At first glance, they would all look like professional archers had anyone known better.

"Let's just hope the shooting goes well. I had taught them about the dominant eye thing like I taught you, but I'm not entirely sure a lot of them understood what I was talking about. Fingers crossed, huh?" Trying to give her some confidence, Wulf crossed both his fingers on both right and left hands, sending Ben a sweet smile. She gladly returned it, ruffling his hair softly, then turned back to focus on the others.

"Once you have the target locked in your sight, open fire." Within seconds, a group of arrows were released, all flying towards their individual stuffed dummies. 3 out of the 8 were able to hit one, though none of the arrows hit the target circles drawn onto said dummies. One made it to the leg area near the ankle, another made it to the shoulder, while the last made it to the 'nether' region of the dummy and had all of the men clutching themselves in agony. Ben let out a soft sigh as she watched them all, not sure whether to laugh or groan. Wulf looked away from the others and glanced to Ben, giving her an awkwardly forced grin in hopes that it would make her feel better. He could understand why this was hard on her, being asked to teach so many people at once who all had different needs and paces to learn at. She was doing well so far, don't get him wrong, she was doing brilliantly! But you can only take so much, and with her doing this every day, three times a day, it was exhausting. She kept going, though, not wanting to be useless or let the others down.

"Well, at least some of them shot it at all. Gotta count for somethin', right?" The woman gazed down at the boy next to her, who never seemed to stop smiling. Wulf was a gift to Earth, Ben was sure. Always optimistic, always comforting, always ready to be there when needed. Why couldn't she have been found by the men 5 years ago?

"True, so far they are doing pretty well. Any practice without injury is a successful one." Her positive reaction made Wulf even happier, knowing that she wasn't going to give up just yet. "Alright boys, we've a long lesson ahead of us! Notch the next arrow, and let's go again." Every man groaned, but did as they were told, bending and retrieving their next arrow to be shot. It went on like this for awhile, until finally all of the arrows were spent and the men were tired and aching. Drawing back a bow string and keeping it there for a few minutes, while Ben made sure everything was efficient, wasn't exactly easy for some of them. Not to mention that a few times, they misfired and nearly hit themselves in the process, but no severe injuries were taken thankfully. A few cuts and bruises, but it was considered a learning experience.

"Good job, all of you! You've made progress, and should be proud of yourselves. Now, may you please retrieve your arrows and return them to their quivers. Make sure you have all 10 arrows, then set your bows next to the quiver for the next group." Relieved that practice was over, the men got to work collecting the arrows, some of them patting each other on the back or complimenting another at how well they shot. They were a good lot, they were. No one thinking they were better than another, always having fun and looking to the bright side even in dark times. One would be proud to consider them friends. But at the moment, Ben was too tired to really think much about it. The area they were training it was extremely exposed to the sun, and she could already feel her skin burning. It was such a burden to have fair skin.. No matter how much sun she would get, Ben would burn, peel, then return right back to her pale skin.

"Alright," Ben sighed to herself, running her hand through her crimson hair, "Onto the next-"

"Benjamina!" Robin of Locksley along with Azeem, John and quite a few of the men behind him, all geared up with a few swords and maybe nine bow and arrow sets.

"Looks like you boys are ready for some trouble." Ben joked, smirking at the group who all cheered at her statement. Boys, every single one of them and not a one of them could agree more.

"We hope so," Robin grinned back, "I was hoping to ask if it is alright to take most of the men from your next group along with me. They're not as tired out as the rest and it would give them some hands on training in the field." Ben nearly tackled him in a sobbing hug after he said it. But trying to act as aloof as she could, she shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head loosely.

"Yeah, of course Robin. Besides, gives me a break from the troublesome buggers!" Again the men burst into laughter, knowing her comment was of good intentions, or hoping it was.

"I thank you, we shouldn't be gone for long though."

"Be back in time for a well deserved meal!" John shouted, and the men cheered as they all followed their leader out of the camp and into the forest to do some thievery. Ben and Wulf watched til the last man was shrouded by trees, both of them sighing.

"I wish I could go with them.." Wulf said, not hiding the disappointment in his voice. Looking away from the trees and down to her young friend, Ben seen his downcast expression, one that nearly broke her own heart. "Father says I'm too young to go out on the hunts now, sayin' they're too dangerous. He used to let me go all the time, now he won't.." A soft hand slid onto his shoulder, making the boy look up at Ben and her apologetic expression.

"I know it's hard, love, but you have to understand that he's only looking after your safety. With the reward raising on Robin's head the more we steal from Nottingham, it becomes increasingly dangerous since more come to take the bounty. Not to mention people are hiring more soldiers to protect them since everyone knows Sherwood is filled with thieves now. Those are trained men, who've killed countless people and won't stop with a child such as you. As I am quite sure you remember.." A hint of fear sparkled in his eyes, thinking back to the day he was chased by dogs and men. The only thing that kept him alive was Robin, and it was by luck that he was there at the right time. If it wasn't for him, Wulf was sure that he would not be standing there with Ben since no one really knew where he was when he was out hunting that day. The hand on his shoulder squeezed firmly. "He knows you are a very skilled lad, and he has complete faith in you, but if he lost you.. I don't think he would ever forgive himself. Have faith in your father too, eh?" The smile he always wore returned to his face as he looked into Ben's eyes. She was right, his father was only protecting him, and in time he would be able to go out with the other men as well.

"Yeah, okay."

"Good boy! Now go see what's for supper, I'm going to go freshen up real quick, I'm all sweaty." She hugged him tightly, then gently pushed him towards the fire pit, where most of the food was cooked.

"That's a good idea, you're smellin' pretty manly!" Wulf teased, and dashed off just as Ben took a single step towards him, laughing all the way. _Cheeky little bugger_, she chuckled. Watching for just a few more moments as the boy ran off, Ben turned and headed towards her Burrow, where a bucket of water sat inside the entree way, just waiting for her. 'A girly hygiene thing', the boys had called it, saying every girl had their own cleaning station. At first, it was rather insulting, seeing that all they thought she was, was a predictable stereotypical girl. That was, until she realized Ben had used it quite a bit. Then again, since she had been asked by Robin a week ago to train the men, she had been sweating a lot more recently Between running back and forth with those she had been teaching, and running everywhere to prepare for each lesson, it had her working so much more than what she had been before Robin. But Ben really couldn't complain, teaching all of them, though quite the sizable amount of work, was so much fun. Getting closer to everyone, learning more about each one, and allowing them to learn more as well was a new experience entirely. And it was worth each bead of sweat that dripped from her brow. Though, she had to admit, it was kind of gross being as sweaty as a man. _I guess Wulf was right_, laughing at herself under her breath, Ben finished the distance between her and the Burrow, pulling away the red cloth to enter.

Since Robin had come, and the looting and raids on those who entered Sherwood had increased drastically, Ben's Burrow had become slightly more adorned. The wooden area Ben and Will created those months ago had now been added onto to make it look much more presentable. Inside, there was more cloth hanging against the inner walls, not only as decoration, but to keep the cold winds at night out. The fabrics were mostly those stolen from noble daughters who, for some reason, brought their bedrooms with them on their journey's. Mauve, sea green and marigold yellow. One would think they were hideous colours, but the richness of them reminded Ben of her old room. An old wooden chest lay in there as well, which was filled with Ben's clothing, a few books Azeem had collected for her, a few pieces of jewelry John thought would look lovely on her and blank paper and ink, which she had put to use teaching Wulf how to write in their free times. Her bucket of water sat next to the chest to conserve room, and a cloth next to it, used solely to help clean herself. It wasn't much, of course, but it definitely livened up the place. What was even better, was that her sleeping area inside the Burrow itself, was added to as well. Now, instead of laying on just hay like she had for awhile now, there were furs laid across to soften the course bedding. She also now had a few pillows and blankets too, making the nights much more easy to sleep through, not waking up freezing cold in the dead of midnight. It was amazing what people brought with them whilst traveling.

Done thinking about how much her Burrow had changed, Ben knelt in front of her water bucket, taking a handful of the cold water and splashing it on her face. Taking a few seconds to catch her breath after nearly drowning from gasping while cold water was pretty much up her nose, Ben took the rag and rubbed her face and hands of any dirt and grime. Though her face was now frozen, it was refreshing to be clean. Well, cleaner than she was before. Searching the water's reflection for any smudges she may have missed, Ben noticed that her hair had gotten a lot longer over the past few months. From the short hair with longish bangs she had when first arriving in camp, now was almost shoulder length crimson hair with bangs down to her chin. It was so strange that she hadn't cut it yet. When she lived alone, she had made sure to cut her hair every month, to keep the boy facade up. _I guess now that everyone knows I'm a girl, I just don't care anymore. I can just be..me..._ The thought itself was enough to make her smile. No more bindings, no more faking a deep voice, no more lies. It was a freedom she hadn't had in too long, and it was great to finally be released from those bonds. And all because-

"Hey Ben, you in there?!" Will's voice hollered from outside her Burrow, nearly making her knock over her bucket from the shock. Steadying herself and trying to calm her heart down, she glared at him through the red cloth, though Ben really couldn't see him through it. She pretty much glared daggers in the general direction his voice had come from. Good enough for her.

"Yeah, yeah I am." Without another word, the cloth brushed aside, and in pops Will's head with a huge smile on his face. A smile that was annoying Ben, who was still tussled by her near heart attack. "What are you all smiling about?" Will didn't seem to hear the snap in her voice, still off in his own little happy world.

"Come on! I want to show you something!" His head left the blanket, but Ben was pretty sure he was waiting outside for her to follow.

"Will, I swear, if this is another one of your 'who does this rock look like' or 'what is this tree shaped like' I'm going to beat you with the rock or hang you in the tree... Or possibly both." Once again the attitude in her voice went completely unnoticed, as Will laughed heartily at her little comment. Leave it to Will to think Ben was cute when she was angry. But none the less, Ben crawled outside too see a far too excited Will Scarlet. One with a huge smile on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes. Oh boy this was gonna be good. "Okay.. What does it look like now?" Will chuckled even harder.

"It's nothing like that, Ben, I swear. I just need you to follow me, okay?" Ben would be lying if she said she wasn't skeptical. But the look on his face, the pure honesty and hopefulness on it. How could one say no to that? That was like saying no to a puppy who wanted the scraps and gave you 'the pout'.

"Ugh, alright!"

"Yes!" Will cheered, nearly jumping with excitement. Without another word, he grabbed Ben's hand and rushed off through the camp and into the woods. The pace he was going at was nearly making Ben fall, who was unable to match him without having her arm pulled out of its socket or stumbling over her own feet from the sheer speed.

"Um, Will? Where are we going?" Tugging at her arm, hoping that it will show him how much she wanted to slow down. It worked, because Will halted so that he could turn to look at her straight in the eye.

"It's a surprise." That was all he said before he turned towards the direction they were going before, and continued walking, this time slower. Ben only hesitated for a moment, wondering why Will was being so secretive about it, but she trailed after him. She trusted Will, and that was enough. Well, enough for her, just not her curiosity.

"Can I have a hint?" Ben played, coming up close behind him. From the side view of his face, she could see that her question caused him to grin. Oh, maybe she was going to be able to find out what this surprise was!

"Nope." Her face fell from disappointment.

"Aww! Come on, Will! I want to at least know something!" This time it was her turn to try 'the pout' with him. And where it would work without any problems any other day, Will's resolve stood strong in this moment. He just looked at her out of the corner of his eye, still grinning like a fool, bathing in his little victory. "Please, oh please, oh please!" Trying harder, this time even running up ahead of him so that he could get a better view of her pleading. That was probably how he was able to resist it the first time, he wasn't looking directly at her. Well now he can't escape from it! But his expression remained the same, even allowing his smile to turn into a smirk. He was totally enjoying this! Before she could do anything else, he said:

"You'll never expect it." It had caught her off guard and made her thoroughly confused. What could he mean by that? What could it possibly be? And for about an hour and a half, Ben debated with herself upon this, thinking of every possible thing it could be. And with her imagination, there was a wide variety of things it could be. From a new pet, a secret hidden pirate treasure, an unexplored ruin, the bones of a dragon, a pony, and an abandoned chest filled with new shoes. A girl could dream. But it was really driving her crazy that she didn't know what it was! Ben was never a girl to like surprises. Not because she hated them, she was just a very curious person and wanted to know now not later. That was probably the only reason she hated her birthday, too.

It was the lack of sound that drew her from her thoughts, not hearing the leaves and twigs crush beneath the weight of her feet. Looking around her, Ben noticed that Sherwood Forest was now a few feet behind her, and she stood in the clearing of England. Instantly her heart began to race and Ben could feel a cold sweat already starting to form on her skin.

"Ben?" Will had noticed that his friend wasn't following, and when he turned to see what was the matter, he noticed the look of pure panic on her face. When she didn't answer, he began to worry even more. "Ben, what is the matter?" It took her a few minutes to remember that she had a voice to speak with.

"I..I haven't left Sherwood in nearly six years..." The voice that came from her was weak and fearful, making Will instantly feel like an idiot. Of course she would be scared leaving, Sherwood had been the only thing protecting her from Nottingham and the death penalty. It was her safe place, and he just tore her out of it without even considering how should would feel about it. Running a hand through his hear, Will sighed, wanting to punch himself for his own ignorance. She looked behind her again, at Sherwood. "I... It's been so long, since I've seen clear land. There are no trees out here." It was like she was in an entirely different world from the one she was so used to. Only in dreams did she remember the rolling hills, the flat meadows, the pale skies without leaves. It felt even longer than six years, in fact.

"Ben..I'm here for you. I won't let anything happen to you while we're out here. I'll protect you." He was trying to soothe her fears, make sure she would be alright. It touched her to know that, with all of her problems and past history, Will has still remained by her side. Hell, everyone has stuck by her. She didn't have to be afraid anymore, because they were all there.. That's what he was telling her. And she smiled as she looked to her closest friend, the one she couldn't live without.

_I will be strong_, she thought the mantra to herself, walking up to Will with her smile still gracing her face. "I've got a surprise, don't I?" Will gave her a wide grin back, happy to see that she had overcome this fear of hers, and that he was there to help her along the way. So on he led her, knowing that their destination was barely 2 more miles away. Hoping that he would be able to support her then, as well.

* * *

><p>Will wasn't sure if she honestly didn't recognize the ruined mansion in front of them, or he was a moron and got the wrong one, but they stood in front of the gates not yet entering. Ben was looking all over the outer walls, witnessing how some of it had decayed and crumbled away, leaving small to large holes here and there. Crawling ivy had nearly covered a good portion of the outside, augmenting the worn facade It looked as if it had been abandoned for far longer than it has been.<p>

"Is this my surprise?" There was no anger in her voice, or sadness, like Will had feared. Instead, it was the same curiosity as before, when she asked what the surprise would be.

"Yes and no. I wanted to bring you here so that we could get your fencing sword. I've been bugging Duncan for the passed two weeks now to find it, then trying to remember exactly where to go to get here." His answer completely took her off guard, making her double-take her friend.

"My sword?"

"When you were talking about it a few weeks ago, you seemed so happy. I mean, you can get happy any other day too, but not as happy as that. I knew it was because it was a memory of Erik, but the sword was something he gave to you. A-and I wanted you to have it again, to be happy like you were.." At first, he sounded so confident of himself, but the more he spoke, the more 'mooshy' he thought he sounded. No man talked like this! Or at least he though so.. Oh, she must think he was a idiot..

The soft lips of Ben kissing his cheek nearly sent Will into a heart attack. Looking at her in surprise, she just smiled with tears brimming her eyes. At first he was scared that what he said made her sad, but she didn't give him time to apologize, as she walked towards the opened gates, through the courtyard, and into the ajar door of the main hallway. Recovering from the peck, Will rushed in after her. But after seeing what's inside, part of him wished he never even thought about bringing her back to the place. The main hallway was spacious and long, there could have been around twenty or so people inside of it and still have room to move around without any issue. There was tons of room for decorations like tapestries and paintings, though the ones that were once occupying the walls seemed to have rotted away or have been looted by thieves. The floor was the worst part, as it was covered in the bones and dried blood of people who once lived at the Western property. Ten maybe fifteen bodies sprawled across the ground, seven of them wearing armour and holding weapons. Will could only guess they were the guards of this place, while the rest were servants. Taking his eyes away from the gruesome scene, he looked up to Ben, who continued to weave through the rubble as if nothing were wrong. _At least she was seeing this through_, he thought and followed her through another grand door.

What they entered next, must have been the great hall or courtroom. It wasn't too huge, as they weren't so rich, but it was large enough for a Lord and Lady of Erik and Adelaide's status. A huge table, though broken in multiple places, stretched down the middle of the room, with 8 chairs and two at each end. Candle racks riddled the sides of the walls, with melted candles still stuck to their holders, dripping down all the way to the floor. The windows, cracked or broken, brought in light so that the two could see grass and weeds peeking through the rough wood of the floor. Unlike the hallway, this room seemed to have no blood or decayed bodies at all around it, just ruined from time and the elements. But nothing in the room had Ben's attention, except what was in the back.

Far away from the door, passed the table, on elevated stone steps, there sat two throne-like chairs. And in both of those chairs, sat two corpses. Will stopped in horror, instantly remembering the story Ben told when she admitted to being a female. The two in the thrones must be Erik and Adelaide Western. Ben had not stopped her slow walk until she was kneeling at the feet of the dead. She did not speak, only looking up at both of them, and Will watched from afar. After a few moments of silence, a sniffle came from the girl.

"It's Mina.. I came back. I know I left you, but I was afraid. I didn't know what to do! I-" She stopped when her words were beginning to become blurred with tears. Taking a deep breath to cool her nerves and sooth her shaking shoulders, she continued. "I've found the most amazing people. I think you would like them all. They've had everything taken from them, and yet they are still fighting. We're fighting." The room grew silent again, Ben staring at the hands of her Lord and Lady, still entwined even after all these years. Then her eyes looked up to the rapier, which still protruded out of Erik's chest. Her sad eyes grew serious, wiping away the tears, Ben stood and went to stand in front of his body. Gingerly, she took the hilt, once big in her hands now fitting perfectly. There was little resistance when she pulled, the tip being stuck in the chair barely half an inch. Looking at the blade unsheathed, it was like it never aged since the day she received it. Still glowing brightly, even in this dim lighting, welcoming her touch as if it missed her. Returning her gaze, her eyes flared with the fire of anger. "I'll avenge you..Father, mother. And when I do, I'll return to give you the burial you deserve. I swear it." Ben turned from them, though it was harder than she thought, stepping down and walking towards Will. She held the sword up in hers hands, allowing Will to see it for himself.

"It's gorgeous!" He said, marveling at the absolute beauty of it.

"Erik had it custom made in Italy. He used to say that Italian smithies were some of the most gifted rapier craftsmen. It's a true swept-hilt form, with deep chiseling on the knuckle guard Gold filigree is etched in, with tiny rubies placed intricately through out the design. Sharpened steel, far stronger than any iron sword."

"Wow, you know a lot about these.." _What was the word she used?_ "Rapiers." Ben chuckled as she slowly ran her fingers over the knuckle guard, reminiscing in the feel of it.

"No, it was what Erik told me when he gave it to me for my birthday. I was so enthralled, I remembered what he said word for word so that I knew about my rapier. So that I could be 'one with the sword'. I don't know, it was a silly child thing." As she spoke, she had a beautiful smile on her lips, one of pure bliss which made Will get goose pimples just looking at her. At least she was smiling, and that made him happy. Maybe one day, he could make her smile like that. The thought itself made Will blush, causing him to look down at the sword in hopes to hide it.

"It's not childish at all." He spoke softly, examining the rapier. When his eyes met the blade itself, he noticed there was some writing carved into the blade. It was a strange language, one he couldn't understand, but it was written in a lovely sweeping font down the middle. "What does that say?" Will asked, pointing at the lettering.

"Rubra aurora surgit." She replied fluently, making whatever language she spoke sound gorgeous in her sweet voice. "It means 'A Red Dawn Rises' in Latin. Many a time, Lord Erik would wake me up early in the morning to watch the sun rise, and he would say that whenever the sky was red at dawn, that it would be a fortuitous day. And when he gave this to me, he said that my dawn would come soon too, and that I would rise above, just like the sun." They both stared at the rapier for a few more moments, when Ben handed it over to Will. He was confused at first, but he reached out and took it, holding it as if it were a piece of glass and would break if he moved just an inch. She turned around and started looking all over the floor, for what, Will didn't know, but he waited. Until an 'ah-ha!', nearly making Will jump, and Ben returning with what looked to be a black sword sheath. Taking the sword back, she slowly cover the sword, then tied the carrier onto her belt. She felt whole again, almost as if taking this rapier, she was taking Erik and Adelaide with her. Breathing deeply, she nodded to her friend.

As they exited the manor, Ben took a deep breath and stared at the sky. It was sunny, bright, and it gave her a hope that she hadn't had in years. A weightlessness she thought that she would never have, ever again. And for some reason, she began to laugh. A laugh so pure and happy, one she had not laughed since she was much younger. Spreading her arms out wide, she twirled around in circles, tipping her head back and letting the sun hit her face in it's warm and loving glow. Around and around, til finally she dropped into the smooth grass, still laughing. The sound of grass crunching came up beside her, and Will crouched down, smiling himself.

"You okay, crazy?" Before he could move, Ben grabbed ahold of his hand, and jerked him down next to her in the grass, both of them laughing.

"Thank you, Will." Though her voice sounded serious, she had the biggest smile on her face.

"For what?"

"For helping me brave the outside world again. For bringing me here. For helping me get my sword back. For giving me the strength to take it." Will didn't think he had that big of an effect on here, to be honest. He thought she was the only one that did that to him, but he seems to have been wrong. To know that he was the one she was relying on, made him feel as if he was floating on air. That this smile was caused by him, this happiness was because of him, made him feel as if he could do anything. Looking at her now...Made him feel so... He didn't know what it was, or what it could be. But he liked it.

"Anytime." Was all he could think to say. Trying not to make it awkward, Will stood up and reached his hand out to her. "Shall we head home, Mina?" The name he called her made her heart skip a beat. Erik had been the only one that had ever called her that, not even Adelaide tried to say her name like that. But the way Will said it, how it sounded so right in his voice, made Ben's smile grow even wider. Taking his hand, she was hoisted up next to him. And before he could slip his hand out of hers, she entwined her fingers into his. The action seemed to have caught Will off guard, as he stared at her and their hands in disbelief. Ben just giggled and squeezed lightly.

"Let's go home." When Will finally realized they were holding hands, he couldn't help but smile. And the entire way home, their hands never left each other. Not until they entered camp, and went to eat some well deserved food. But even then, they stole secret glances at one another the rest of the day. Hoping that their eyes would meet, yet praying they didn't get caught staring. One would think they were in love...

_Memo: So i realized after re-reading some of my previous chapters that I had been changing the spelling for Erik's name a few times. I'm such a ditze, haha. But thank you all so much for still sticking with me. You're all amazing ! xoxoxo  
>Side note: JIC, 'Mina' is pronounced 'Mee-na'. Sorry, ive had this happen before, so just to make sure you all get it lol<em>

***WickedForGood13****: Thank you so much for your review! I'm hoping to see them convince themselves of their feelings soon, but when? Idk. Or do I? Lol But once again thank you very much and I hope you enjoy the rest and keep reading :)**

*******Dalonega Noquisi****: I did rather love writing the strawberry scene, but its so hard writing an original one since its a very popular skit thing to do, lol. But I'm happy you liked it, and hope you like this one too :) **


	15. The Fool of Love

**Chapter 15: The Fool of Love.**

"So, what's it going to take for you to teach me how to use a sword like that?" Will smirked at his friend, the young Benjamina, who was cleaning her sword for maybe the fourth time that day. Or at least the fourth time of which he's seen. The woman in question looked up to see Will leaning against the tree she sat near, looking down at her with that annoying yet..alluring smirk he almost always wore.

"It's actually called a rapier, but methinks it would take you a week's worth of your desert." Ben sheathed her weapon with a grin as she watched that cocky smirk of his drop instantly.

"What?! A week! But that's the best part of dinner! No one makes pies like Fanny!" His whining made Ben start to laugh, but she held it in, trying to act as serious as she possibly could. It worked, as Will still looked shocked at what she asked. Finally, giving a huff, Will nodded in defeat, looking as down as a child who was told to get ready for bed. Ben couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into laughter.

"Oh you are such a fool, William. Of course I'll teach you! No payment required." Will couldn't help the sigh of relief he let out. He wasn't kidding, Fanny's pies, especially her wild cherry pies were the best! It was a complete blessing that she had come to camp. Before they had to smuggle the pies in, and half the time Fanny or anyone else baking them never had enough supplies to even make a miniature one that would feed three people. Maybe one every 5 months or so. But now he got them nearly every night and he'd be damned if he had to give them up! Not even for Be- Okay maybe for Ben.. Like a slice or two, but still! "But we're training with sticks. My rapier is far too sharp for us to be practicing with, and the men need all the swords they can get."

"Is that what you and Erik practiced with? When you two were training?" After asking that, Will wanted to ram his head into a tree, terrified to bring up Erik to her. But she didn't flinch like she used to or get that sad far off expression like she once did. Instead she just smiled, a very happy smile as she thought of the past.

"No we trained with wood carved into swords. Kind of like what young boys would get in the market, just to run around the streets and pretend they were pirates or such and beat each other with them." The image made both of them chuckle. It was so good to see Ben just happy now, with no remnants of the sorrow that she once carried around. It almost made her glow, more than her pale skin already made her do. "Would you like to start now? I can just steal away with some of the practice sticks Azeem has."

"Don't you have archery practice today?" Though Will was enjoying her eagerness to train him, and as much as he would love to spend time with her now, he wasn't willing to take time away from the men training. He hated to admit it, but Robin's idea for this Sherwood Forest village was a good one. Plus their thieving has increased and had become much more profitable with everyone being trained now, so they were pretty much as rich as a lord would be. If the men needed that one day of practice to make all of their lives better, who was Will to stop that? He may be a git sometimes, but he was not entirely a selfish one.

"Nope, not today. Robin gave me another day off since they are all out with him, plundering the shinnies off of the rich." And with that Ben walked off to where the make-shift smithy was. Grabbing two of the straight sticks, Ben motioned for Will to follow her, which he did obediently She was the teacher after all. Out they walked until they had reached the clearing near Ben's Burrow. Tossing one of the sticks to Will, Ben turned to her newest pupil.

"Now, some of the first things you'll need to know about fencing, is that it's fast-paced. You need to learn how to move quickly, how to change direction fast, and how to do everything smoothly while still balanced. It won't be very easy, but no skill that's worth anything is taught over night. Or at least that's what Erik always told me." Already Will's head was swelling from too much information.. "Okay, so what every duelist knows is to salute first."

"Salute?"

"Yes. What you do, is bring the rapier up is front of your face, hand at your chin-"

"Why do we have to salute? I think we know each other well enough, don't you agree?" Will awkwardly, and very sloppy, did the same gesture as Ben was doing. He got the hand to his chin part right at least, though the stick was veering off to the left a little too much.

"It's a way for the fighters to come to an understanding. Like a sign of respect, you know? A way of saying 'may the best man win' without sounding snotty or prideful. Also it's a tradition so it's just kind of established either way. Now straight back, head high, and steady that stick!" The lesson went on for almost an hour like this: Ben teaching, Will attempting, Ben correcting, Will failing, Ben encourages, Will tries harder, and then the circle starts again. Will was doing rather well though, kind of. He got the stances and movements down rather easily, just needs help on the sword work. Whilst Ben thrust and waved her stick around gracefully, as if it hadn't been years since she's used a sword of any kind, Will waved his stick wildly about and looked as if he was trying to hit a fly. With his eyes closed. It was almost too easy for Ben to be able to attack him, giving him multiple red spots, welts all over his body, and quite a few sore areas on his behind. Finally after a swift hit to the back of his knees after he tried to charge, nearly causing him to topple over onto his face, Will had it. He wasn't angry, but a girl kicking his bottom was unheard of! And if Will was gonna win, he was going to have to play dirty because Ben was far too good with a stick..

Before she could react, Will threw down his practice stick and charged at her again, but this time tackling her down to the ground. Once the wind finally returned to her lungs and she wasn't seeing stars anymore, Ben looked up to Will to ask what in God's name he was doing, but she couldn't get a syllable out. Will's fingers were wiggling all up and down her sides, poking at very ticklish spots. Ben erupted into laughter, trying to wiggle and squirm out of her capture's grasp. Getting to the point of nearly wetting herself from laughing so hard, Ben pushed with all of her might and rolled Will over, making her on top and now the tickler instead of the tickle-ee. Just like Ben had, Will giggled and wiggled, then threw her off as well. Soon the tickle fight became a wrestling match, seeing who would end up on top and win. This went on for nearly thirty minutes until Ben was so weak from the tickles and rolling all over the forest floor, she was left underneath Will. Both of them were breathing hard, and both had giant smiles on their lips.

"Have you ever noticed that I come out on top of you a lot? Cause this looks oddly familiar." Will chuckled as he had Ben pinned underneath his weight, his hands holding down both of hers above her head o she couldn't get to him. Ben gave her own grin as she thought back to the first time they had met nearly two months ago. Will had tackled her by the lake to catch her and take back their money. It seemed so long ago, yet it was such a short time.

"Oh yeah I remember, it was by the lake when I kicked your 'goods'." That made Will freeze up instantly, having a shocked look on his face. His expression had Ben giggling like crazy, which soon after got Will to laugh too. Once their merriment ended, Will looked deep in Ben's eyes, still smiling happily.

"I'm happy we found you, Mina." Ever since the Manor, three days ago, Will's only called her 'Mina'. No more 'Ben' or 'Benny' or 'Benji', but the name Erik used to call her. And ever time he said it, her stomach would do this odd little flip and her heart would beat quickly for a few seconds. A smile was nearly impossible to stop from spreading on her lips.

"As I am happy to have been found." Will's grin turn into a full smile, glad to hear what Ben had said. But his smile faded a little, for when he looked away from Ben's beautiful green eyes, he found her pink lips. Looking at them, Will had the strangest idea.. What would her lips feel like on his? At the moment, it didn't seem such a strange idea, and his curiosity was getting too strong to resist. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Will began to lower his head. Ben wasn't exactly sure what to do at all. Something told her to close her eyes, so she lowered her lashes the closer he got. Seconds felt like hours, and she could feel his hot breath on her lips, sending shivers over her skin. Was he going to kiss her?

"Benjamina!" Robin's voice ripped them apart, both looking off to the direction it came from. "Benjamina!" He shouted again, probably trying to figure out where she was at. Will groaned, mood already turned sour the moment he heard that spoiled ninny's voice. Apparently, they had come home from the raid..

"Will, are you okay?" The man looked down to see the worried expression of the woman underneath him. She must of heard him after Robin yelled. Instantly Will put on a weak smile and nodded, not wanting to worry her anymore. If Will was still going to hate Robin, he didn't want to pull her into it more than she already was. Ben had to work with the man, after all.

"Yeah, I'm good." Though she didn't seem too convinced at what he said, Ben didn't ask further, which he was thankful for.

"Okay.." She became silent for a moment as she looked down at their two bodies, his on top of hers. "So, would you get off of me?" Realizing he was still pinning her down, Will rushed off of her, holding his hand out to help her back up. She took the hand gladly, and dusted herself off when she finally got back to her feet. With a sweet smile and a promise to return, Ben ran off to where Robin's voice was still shouting her name. Will debated on staying where he was and waiting for her, but instead he slowly walked into base camp. Right away Will was able to find Ben and Robin talking, it was hard not to. There they stood, Robin looking down at her, as she was nearly a foot shorter than he was. Ben just nodded and smiled, listening to every word he said, just like everyone else did, in complete awe. Will wasn't sure how, but he had that affect on people, somehow casting a spell over everyone he talked to and made them believe in him utterly. Even Will had to admit, sometimes when he spoke, he almost believed him too. Suddenly Will's thoughts were interrupted when he heard the beautiful laughter of Ben and the sickeningly joyful one of Robin. Returning focus to them, Will saw them smiling at each other and laughing, most likely from something Robin had said. Then Robin slid his hand onto Ben's shoulder and squeezed slightly, not removing his hand after that.

Something dark and angry boiled within Will as he looked at the limb, still holding on softly to the delicate shoulder of Benjamina Rouge. It didn't belong there at all, it didn't look right even from this distance. Will wanted nothing more than to run over and cut it off as if it were an infectious disease about to spread if it stayed on too long. Heart pounding now at a furious rate, not the light flutters Ben would give him or the nervous beats he would get when about to do a heist. No this was like liquid heat, spreading uncontrollably through his body like a wild fire among trees. It would be scary if Will wasn't so angry and still staring. He also would have noticed the Moor walking up next to him, noticing the loathsome glare on his face and the subject of his rage.

"Is there something wrong, young William?" The deep accented voice brought the other male away from the two ahead, an instead onto him. Azeem could tell the fury was still within him, but not looking had at least calmed him down enough not to be glaring anymore.

"W-what? I'm sorry Azeem, I didn't see you standing there." The Arab smiled softly at the boy.

"Quite alright, I am known to be rather quiet when I wish to." Azeem looked again to Robin and Ben, both still talking and unaware of the other two looking at them. "'Avoid jealousy, for it destroys good deeds as fire destroys wood.'" At first the words didn't sink in, but when they finally did, Will was utterly confused.

"Jealous? What would I be jealous of?" Will's voice was a little too defensive, but he seemed not to notice, unlike Azeem.

"A look such as that on your face can not be any other emotion. I have seen it many a time on the faces of men who's loves have been promised to another.." The Arab's voice seemed to grow sad at the last sentence. Why? Will wasn't sure, but he knew he wasn't jealous! Especially of that idiotic, prissy, no-good, half-witted, egotistical piece of cow dung! Thinking this, a small glare, though not as potent as the one he wore before, deformed his face. And when Azeem looked at the younger man, he chuckled. "You do not believe you are jealous of him? As he stands so close to Ben, making her smile, his hand on her shoulder in such a manner." Each thing he said just reminded Will of how angry he was at the situation.

"It's not like it matters, okay! She's not mine anyway.." This time, Azeem just smiled and shook his head at the boy's naivety.

"'Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with who fate brings you together..'" Azeem turned away from the two up ahead but did not walk away, instead stood next to Will. Lifting his hand up, he placed it on Will's chest, right where his heart was beating. "'But do so with all your heart.'" And before Will could ask what his cryptic words meant, the Moor walked away, back towards the rest of the camp. Will watched as he walked away, wondering if he should chase after him or not. But he did not turn back to the two, not wanting to see them again and become angry all over. So he walked away as well, hoping it would clear his head a little more of the confusion and fury. Why was he so angry that Robin touched her? It's not like he hadn't pat her on the back or grabbed her shoulder before. Why all of a sudden this rage? Could the Arab possibly be right, and this was jealousy. He had never truly been this jealous before. Of course he was always jealous that his so called 'brother' lived in a nice cozy manor whilst him and mother were forced to live in the forest. But that wasn't as intense as this was. Azeem was right, it was like a fire: hot and hungry, wanting to destroy everything. A shudder run down his spine, it was almost spooky to feel this way. But all he wanted to do what pull Ben away, hold her close to him, and make sure no other man touched her. Will's thoughts returned to the cryptic message Azeem had said.

Love.

Was this really love that Will was feeling for Ben? Did fate really bring them together?

Will stopped walking, staring at the ground with a blush covering his face. He had never been in love before. Never getting the chance to meet many women made it quite hard for Will to really feel anything other than a slight fancy or utter annoyance. But Ben made him feel.. Wanted, cared for, respected, so many things. And he felt the same for her; wanting nothing but to protect her, care for her, be there for her whenever she needed, love her...

Love her?

He loved her.

Will Scarlett was in love with Benjamina Rouge. The epiphany hit him hard, making Will feel as if he weighed as much as a house, yet was as light as a feather. Heart racing yet calm and steady. Mind whirling like a storm and yet calm and collected. So this was what love was like?

He had to tell her! He had to let Ben know how he felt! But how? Just a few moments ago he didn't even know what love is, how was he going to tell Ben? He heard talking about 'courting' a woman, making them fall in love with you. But how would he do that... Azeem would know! He knew Will was in love before even _he _knew! So it was now an adventure to find the Arab, which was easy enough to do, since he was either with Robin or in his small shelter. And with Robin talking to Ben, there was only one place for him to be. Walking up to the tent like shelter, easy to tell it was his with the star and crescent moon emblem, Will noticed Azeem sharpening his curved sword. Taking a deep breath, Will finished the last few states that separated him from the Arab.

"Azeem!" The coloured man looked up.

"Ah, William what can I-"

"How do you court a woman?" The question seemed to take him by confusion at first, but after it finally registered, Azeem began to laugh.

"Do you see women flocking around me?" Azeem joked, indicating at the lack of people even walking around his small home. "To be honest, love is such a hard thing to understand, and women even more so. But I do not see why you would need help." Will was now the very confused one.

"Yes I do! That's why I'm asking you." Azeem shook his head, though his smile still remained.

"You believe you need help, but the flower blooms not because the sun tells it to, but because it wants to share it's beauty with the world." Will pondered what the man said.

"...What?"

"With the young Benjamina, you have nothing to worry. An honest heart speaks much louder than a false one, even if it does not speak at all." At this point, Will was just getting angry. Could this man speak in normal English or does he always have to speak in riddles? Whoever taught him to speak English was an idiot and should be hanged. But not wanting to offend the man, Will nodded his head obediently and turned and walked away. Obviously he wasn't going to get any help from Azeem that made any sense what so ever. He would have to ask somebody else around camp. Somebody who knew what love was and would know how to express themselves. Some one like.. Fanny! Running to her hut, Will was lucky enough to catch her as she was sewing up some pants for one of the children. One of them most likely fell and ripped their pants. Knocking on the wooden door, Will tried to get her attention.

"Oh! Will, how are you lad?" She asked sweetly, giving him brief glances from her sewing.

"I'm good Fanny, hey I have a question that I'm hoping you can help me with." He moved inside her hut, sitting down on a chair made with sturdy sticks right next to the large woman.

"O' course, dear, what can I do ya for?"

"Well you see, I have this friend, that's not me! But he really likes this girl, who you wouldn't know! Well he likes her and doesn't know how to tell her, but wants to really bad and he-" The time Will spoke, he was staring at the straw covered ground, thinking of how to word his question correctly without causing suspicion. When he looked up, he instantly stopped talking, seeing Fanny's large grin as she stopped working on the pants.

"It's Ben, innit?" Will's face burst into such a vivid red.

"No! No, I said it was someone you didn't-"

"Will, everyone knows, deary." Once again Will stopped, completely defeated. Running a hand through his hair, he nodded his head, accepting what Fanny had admitted. It seems the entire camp knew before he did, which didn't truly make him feel any better what so ever.

"That bad, huh?" He joked, trying to lighten his own mood.

"We all had a pool to see how long it would take one of you to find out." She said as she began working on the trousers once again. He knew she was just having a bit of fun, though he wouldn't be surprised if she was actually telling the truth. "But I say, bake her something that'll make her mouth water. Best way to get into anyone's heart, or at least lighten the mood 'fore you tell 'em, is through their stomach. That's how I got my Johnny." Will asked more questions for the next two minutes, somewhere along the lines of what to bake and how, until he had a good idea of what to do. Ben was madly in love with the sweet rolls Fanny makes, most of the time stealing them away from his plate when he wasn't looking to shove them in her mouth and try to play it that she had no idea where they went. So Will began making a batch, Fanny next to him the entire time to help him out. Unfortunately, even if God himself was helping the boy out, it wouldn't have changed the fact the sweet rolls were somehow too salty and burned in several places. Fanny wanted to try again, but Will knew he was one of the worst cooks ever, he couldn't even roast a fish on a stick. So on his search went, until he found John by the lake, teaching Wulf how to fight with a stave.

"Hey John! You got a second?" Will hollered as he came closer to the two.

"Yeah sure, mate, what's the matter?" The great lug of a man rested his stave on his shoulders, allowing him to rest his huge arms.

"Well, this guy I know kinda likes this girl and-"

"Oh you mean Ben?" Wulf grinned, mimicking his father with his much smaller stave, placing it on his shoulders. John couldn't hold back a snort of laughter, and Will tried with all of his might not to glare at the boy.

"Yeah.. I mean Ben."

"Good for you, lad! Finally becomin' a man!"

"Yeah, thank you. But I need some help, John. I don't know how to show Ben how I.." He hesitated, hating to show that he had such feelings to a man he greatly respected and valued his opinion. "How I feel about her." Wulf couldn't stop grinning, thinking that by the end of the day the two of his best friends would finally be together. He was especially excited to see Ben's reaction, knowing that this would make her very happy since he believed she loved Will, too.

"Well, my boy, you've come to the right place! Now you come over hear and sit down, while I teach ya somethin' very important!" Will sat down on a large rock that was sticking out of the ground, facing John who sat on a fallen log with his son. "Now, every woman says that it's not true, but don't you listen to 'em. They only say it to make sure they don't sound all prissy and such."

"Especially Ben, since she doesn't wanna sound like she's better than us!" Wulf added quickly, trying to defend his friend. His father sent him a grin of thanks, then continued on with his speech.

"Right you are, especially Ben! But like I was sayin', they all swear they don't want any more than they've got, but every woman wants more. And that's clothes!" Will was completely blown away. Of all the things John could have said, especially with the way he was telling it so exaggeratedly; Clothes? "Yup, they fancy over new clothes all the time, bristling over the colours or fabrics. 'Oh look, it's made of blue silk!' or 'My my my, this cloth will look great with my shoes!'" He said in a terrible falsetto voice. "Oh! And don't get me started on the shoes!" Wulf was nodding his head the entire time, as if he had such a deep knowledge of women.

"So I get Ben clothes? But what will she wear?" Asked the boy who had such a little knowledge of women and their wants and needs.

"She likes green, I think it's 'cause of her eyes. They're green too! And it brings out her red hair." Said the boy, who surprising did have a knowledge for women. Which was slightly scary, Will had to admit.

"I think I saw something from the raid a few days ago that was green. It was a dress though-"

"They love dresses, gets a good breeze goin'." John added, smirking to Will as if he understood the joke. He didn't and Will was quite sure he didn't want to know. In a hurry he left, allowing them to return to practice. Will wasn't quite sure what a woman like Ben would want with frilly clothes, but John was married, so obviously he knew of the matter much more than he did. Off he went to the shed that held all the extra clothes, digging for the right colours. He found a few pieces he thought would look good on her, but when he studied the garbs some more, he found none of them would fit her. They were either too small and would most likely suffocate her, or too big and she would trip all over herself. Will checked some of the other clothes, but none were the right size or looked too prim. Well this was turning out to be a bust..

Next he went to his good friends Much and Bull, who he knew had many lovers. Or at least they claimed to have had many lovers. They were down near the middle of the camp, arguing about something like they normally do. By the shouting, it was about who was the best archer between the two. Of course, they always fought about who was better than the other. Thank the Maker that they get distracted easily.

"Hey boys!" Will called to them, instantly drawing their attentions away from the other. Both were smiling at him, as if they hadn't been yelling at each other just three seconds ago.

"Oh hey Will!"

"Hey Will." They said at the same time. "What can we do for you on this fine day we're having?" Much asked, cheerful smile with the confused expression, just as he always had.

"Well I was wondering how you court a-"

"Lady?!" Both shouted at once, Will wondering why he even spoke at all with any of these people if they were going to just interrupt him all the time.

"Yes.." He said softly, trying hard to keep the gazes off of him from all the people looking to see why Bull and Much were shouting loudly now.

"Well, you've come to the right men, my good lad!" Bull said, clutching onto the sides of his vest, acting very proud.

"Yeah, we know lots 'bout the fairer gender." Much added, giving his own proud grin to the mix. Somehow, Will was beginning to regret coming to these two. "So what's you want to know, Will?"

"Idiot, he already said!" Bull mumbled, elbowing his friend in the side. The other man looked offended at first at the gesture, then looked perplexed. Seemingly thinking back, his face become more distorted with confusion.

"No he didn't.." Much commented after a few seconds. Bull rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the man next to him.

"Yes he did, I heard 'em."

"Well he _was_ gonna say it, but we rudely interrupted him."

"No we didn't!"

"Yes we did."

"No, we finished his sentence for him."

"That's still-"

"Enough you two!" Will shouted, tired of their fighting, as it was already giving him a headache and he had only been there for three minutes. It worked, thankfully, as both of them stood there and looked at Will in a rather surprised manner. Obviously they didn't realize how carried away they had gotten. "Now, will you lot tell me how to get Ben's attention or not, cause I don't have all day!" Both of them went from looking at Will to each other. Much held out his hand, which Bull groaned in displeasure. Rummaging through his pockets, Bull brought out and counted ten gold pieces then handed them over to Much. So Fanny wasn't kidding...

"Yeah we can teach ya that, kid. Besides, it's not so hard, you'll have her drooling over ya when we're done." Bull said, seemingly over the loss of his money, and back to his very proud self. again. "Now what ya gotta do, is show what kinda _man_ you are." The ragged man winked at the younger one, giving a sly smirk. That was until he was hit in the chest from his friend.

"Don't be teachin' the lad that! Ain't no way to treat a lady!" Much looked totally offended by what Bull had said. Truth be told, Will had no idea what he was even talking about.

"Ben ain't no lady! She dresses up like a boy!"

"That don't make her not a lady! I bet she would dress like a lady if she wasn't in trouble with the law."

"We're all in trouble with the law! No sense to be hidin' from it like that now."

"Still don't mean she ain't a lady..." Much retorted quietly, folding his arms and looking down, almost as if he were pouting. Once more, Bull rolled his eyes at the actions of his friend.

"Well, how would _you_ treat her then?" Bull placed both of his hand on his hips, tapping his foot impatiently, almost as a mother would if she were scolding her child. The other man lifted his chin in defiance looking farther away from his friend. A loud sigh came out of Bull, who looked as if he was about say something he really didn't want to say. His lower lip was tuck over his top, large eyebrows drawn together in anger. Looking at the two of them like this was like looking at two children throwing tantrums, Will wasn't sure if he should laugh or pity them.

"Fine! Ben is a lady!" Bull shouted, clearly hating that he was defeated. Much, on the other hand, seemed rather pleased with what his friend had said, returning his gaze back with a triumphant smile.

"You a treat a lady with flowers!" Much encouraged with a gleeful smile. And off again Will went. There was no point trying out what Bull said, he didn't even understand what he had meant. Show her the kind of man he is? He was as bad as the Arab with cryptic talking! Will wasn't sure he wanted to know anyway, if Much had reacted that way. Those two weren't even as smart as a box of rocks, but if Much understood it, then it must have been pretty bad. Sad part was, Will wasn't sure if it was bad that he didn't understand or not yet Much did. Oh well, he at least got some advice out of Much, which seemed like a good idea. Will remembered how much his mum would enjoy finding beautiful wild flowers in the forest, just to pick them and put them is a vase to pretty their wee shack up. But where to find the perfect flowers? He searched for maybe an hour before he finally found a larger patch of really colourful flowers. He had no idea what kind they were, but women like all kinds of flowers, so he was sure it didn't matter. Rapidly picking up some, trying not to just pick the head off, Will rushed back to the camp. But half way there, he heard something weird, almost like a buzzing sound. Looking around him, he saw nothing, but still heard the strange noise. Noticing that is was fairly close, he looked down and saw the flowers moving. Curious he took a closer look. **BEES**! He must have picked a few flowers that had bees harvesting on them in his hurry! Will couldn't count how many there were, but with how many stings he got as he ran back to camp, must have been four or six. Felt like twenty though.. Thankfully, Fanny had a wonderful tonic that helped the swelling and pain.

Now he remembered why he hated flowers, they always had bees.

"Poor Master Scarlett," Duncan said as he sat across from Will and Fanny, who was rubbing the healing salve on the young man's back, where a few very angry bees had gotten into his shirt. "Why were you messing with bees, boy?"

"I wasn't-OUCH!" He hissed as Fanny pulled out a stinger that was lodged very deep into Will's shoulder. "I wasn't messing with the bees, I was trying to pick flowers for Ben." Will held in a rather colourful curse as the woman rubbed the salve into his skin, not being gentle at all. One would think that if someone was hurt, you would try to make sure you didn't cause more. Though the obvious pain the boy was in, Duncan began to smile once he heard why Will had been mauled by bees. "Why are you smiling?" Will questioned, truly curious as to why the blind man became so elated all of a sudden. Of course, that was answered when Duncan held out his withered hand, soon to be given a handful of gold pieces by Fanny. Seriously?!

"It warms my old heart to hear someone so young, so in love." Will was just glad that he was blind or the old man would have seen him glare at him and the pocket he shoved the money into. This betting thing was not funny at all.. "I used to be in love, with the most beautiful woman in all of England. She had flowing black hair, as dark as the night, and would glow in the moonlight. Eyes of the bluest sapphire lips full and irresistible Hard not to kiss her every second I could. Never stopped me though." The old man giggled at his memory, and the two other in the room couldn't stop their own smiles.

"What happened to her? Why aren't you still with her?" Will asked, not remembering that his back was in pain. It's amazing what wonders the art of distraction can do for you.

"Oh, she was promised to another man. Her father, who was a very wealthy noble, wanted her to marry into a noble family. And I, being of servant standing, wasn't allowed to see her ever again." Will was instantly saddened by Duncan's plight. Even though it must have happened decades ago, it still must have hurt. He couldn't think of what would happen if he had to give someone he loved to another. Would Ben have been betrothed if she was still with the Western family? "But I made sure she knew I loved her."

"How-OW!" Will had jumped at hearing Duncan's last words, forgetting that Fanny was still applying the ointment, which made her hands press harder into his stings.

"Sit down, silly! I'm almost done." Will hoped so, he didn't want to be in pain anymore, nor did he want to look the a hunchback from swelling.

"I told her through poetry. They say that poetry is the most beautiful way to express your inner feelings. I stood beneath her window late at night to recite a poem for her, just one last time before she wed in the morning." Duncan cleared his throat, and straightened his back, then spoke in a longing voice:

"_She has all my heart, and my soul,_

_And herself and the whole world;_

_And when she left, nothing remained_

_But desire and a longing heart._" He ended it softly, and Will was sure he could feel the aching in his Duncan's heart as if it were his own.

"That was so beautiful, Duncan." Fanny spoke softly, just as effected as Will was, "Did you write that yourself?" Duncan's weak smile returned, as if nothing sad had jut happened.

"No, I had read it in one of the many books my Lord Locksley had. He was a good Master and would let me borrow from his personal library when I had a thirst for knowledge." Will had not paid attention to anything else after the poem. It was beautiful, even he had to admit it. If he could recite a poem to Ben, would she be effected as he was? Could he really tell her how he felt through a poem? It couldn't be too hard! Even Duncan, who was old and forgetful like any elder, remembered the poem he told his old lover _years_ back!

"Duncan, can you teach me a poem?" Will spoke suddenly, startling both the old man and the woman who sat in the same hut as he. But Duncan smiled his wrinkled lips, clutching onto his walking stick confidently.

"I don't see why not."

* * *

><p>About forty minutes later, Will was walking over to the area Ben and himself were at before, repeating the poem Duncan had tried to teach him. Tried to, because Will realized he had a terrible memory. Five steps out of the hut and he had nearly forgotten the entire thing. Who would have thought that memorizing a poem was going to be so difficult? But he was trying hard to remember it, he wasn't going to mess up again. Everything he has tried today has blown up in his face, and he wasn't going to let it happen now. Reaching their 'practice area', Will noticed she wasn't there. Ben must have gotten tired of waiting, but he hadn't seen her at all in the camp. Had Robin taken her on heist? No, he would have known if there was a heist going on today. So where could she be? Well, there was only one other place Ben could be that Will knew of, and that was their fallen tree over the river. And when he did actually find her there, and was so excited to recite the poem for her, he realized something. He completely forgot the poem.. Trying to think of where she could be, then finding her, had taken his mind off of repeating it so he could remember. <em>God dammit, why am I such an idiot?! It shouldn't be this hard! What is wrong with me?!<em>

The time he took to internally scold himself, Ben had noticed Will pacing back and forth, clutching onto his head in distress. The entire time she had been waiting for him, she had heard nothing but how strange Will had been acting. People were saying he was running here and there, all over camp talking with people. Some even said he was attacked by a hive of bees while out in the forest. Why he was out there, no one said, but Ben didn't really care why because she was too worried about the bees. Finally tired of watching him stress so much, she decided to stop him.

"Will!" She shouted loudly, nearly making him trip over himself from being startled. "What the bloody hell are you doing?" Will's expression turned guilty, which slightly worried the girl as she thought something bad had happened. Out of fear and nervousness, Will tried to recite what he could remember.

"_I am already tired of thinking of you_- No, wait that's not it.. _I am already wearied with how my thoughts are_..um.. _weary of you_! _And how I've_... dammit!" He tried so hard to remember, but the way Ben was looking at him, so confused and wide-eyed, it was making it even more impossible to think straight. But Ben's giggles drew him from his self-loathing.

"Come sit down, you silly boy, and top this madness." She patted the area next to her, seemingly not caring what a fool he's made himself. Giving up, Will sulked over, flopping down onto the seat next to her. "Now what has got you acting so strangely today?"

"I've no idea..." He answered honestly, but she chuckled at him anyway. It was silent now, as Ben looked out to the river, watching as the sun slowly lowered in the sky. Will took this silence to think for a moment, trying to choose his next words carefully. Trying to think of a way to tell her. But how could he when he didn't know how? Then an idea came to his mind, one he should have thought of before. "Mina, how did Erik and Adelaide meet?" The question seemed to surprise Ben at first, but she thought back to the stories that her Masters had told her when she was younger.

"Erik once told me of the time when he went to England with his brother. I can't remember why they were there, something about a party of some sort that Erik was forced to go to. But while he was their, he met Adelaide for the first time. He said he remembered her beauty had stunned him, with her silken hair and radiant skin. Her laughter was as soft as a bell, and just as melodic. From that moment on, Erik said he wanted no one but her. So he tried to get her attention whenever possible, but every time he tried he would make a fool out of him and sometimes her." Will held in a scoff, relating to Erik far too easily. "But one day, when he was trying to show off some of his fencing skills by twirling his rapier about and doing some complicate stances, he tripped and fell into a huge puddle of mud. He even cut his forehead on the pavement! But Adelaide took pity on him and brought him into her home to fix him up. He told me that he admitted his feeling to her there as she cleaned him up, after he apologized for acting like an imbecile. She then told him that she had felt the same for him, but wished he would have just been himself, since it was who he was that she loved not what he got her or how he presented himself." The last part was a slap in the face for Will. Was that what Azeem had meant all along? Be himself, because she will love him for him?...Why couldn't he have just said that?!

"Now that I think of it, while I was there, Adelaide did call Erik a 'fool' quite a lot. Though he would always grin and say 'fool of love'. Huh," Ben chuckled at her realization, "I didn't get that til just now. How curious." She smiled at Will, but his gaze was off onto the horizon, determined expression on his handsome face. Before she could draw his attention back to her, the call for supper rang through the forest, reaching their little sanctuary. "Time to eat, come on before we miss all the good stuff." Ben stood from her spot, dusting her bottom and legs off. She reached her hand out, beckoning Will to grab a hold. When his focus came back, he hesitantly held onto her hand, then was hoisted up.

They reached camp without anything else spoken, as Will was off in his own little world. But when he took his gaze away from the ground, and looked around, he saw the smile of the Arab who gave an encouraging nod before he disappeared into the crowd of hungry people. Leaving Will to think of when and how exactly to tell Ben how he felt.

_Memo: I'm so sorry it took so long for me to get this one out, been pretty busy lately with the holidays coming up. Thank you all for waiting so patiently and sticking with me! You are all amazing muses :D Xoxox  
>Btw: the poem Duncan recited was <span>"When I See the Lark Beating" By Bernart de Ventadorn<span>. It's actually a rather ad poem but that stanza seemed to fit the part very well, and I find it beautiful. Also I'll give the info on the poem Will was trying to say later so be patient please :)_


	16. Kiss

**Chapter 16: Kiss**

The rain outside was pouring down hard that night, and had been for most of the day, forcing everyone in the Sherwood Village to stay within their huts. Anyone stuck within it's torrents were sure to be soaked to the bone within minutes, threatening anyone daft enough with cold feet and chills. But inside their homes, people stayed nice and dry, some even staying within the huts of friends to make the nights less lonely or give an excuse for a party. Ben didn't mind so much though, as she was beneath the ground in her burrow, dry and away from the pouring skies. In fact she rather liked the rain, as it was always a soothing a sound to her. There was no lightening or thunder that rattled the skies and shook the ground. No, this was just the heavens raining down, and it had lulled Miss Rouge into a relaxed state. She lay withing her bed, reading one of the many books Azeem had acquired for her by candle light. One would believe this to be a good day, and Ben wouldn't deny it at all.

But in the middle of the chapter, Ben heard, what she guessed, to be the sound of squishy foot beats as well as cursing coming from outside. Making sure to put her finger on the place she last started reading, Ben looked out towards her cloth door, watching it for a moment to see if her suspicions were correct about said noises. If they were, any moment now the head of a scruffy faced, drenched brunette would pop through her door. And of course, she was, right down to the dripping brown locks. Didn't think to add the very angry and annoyed look, though. Darn it, she forgot about that.

"You'd think God would know by now that we've had enough rain! This is ridiculous.. My underwear is soaked, how does that happen?! I feel like I went swimming in the lake.." Will shook himself like a dog would, hoping that would take some of the water off of his body. If it did, he wouldn't know, as he still felt as if he just took a dive into the ocean. Ben laughed at her friend though, finding his exasperation comical.

"What did you do, take a long walk out before you came here?" She asked, noting to the fact he did look just as soaked as he said. She wasn't going to test to see if his under garments were wet though, she may die from the lack of blood to her body and the over abundance of it to her face.

"I only walked from my hut to here! What is that, seven yards? More? In just a few yards, I nearly drowned in freezing cold rain! And I am quite sure I saw a whale and a few fishes too..." Ben giggled some more at his silliness, setting her book down to help her friend down into her home, afraid he may slip on his own clothes.

"Well, if it truly is as cold as you say, then get down here and warm up with in the blankets. Don't want you catching your death, I need someone here who keeps me sane."

"I thought that was Wulf's job, because I am quite sure I annoy you too often for you to be sane." He teased, taking his shoes off before sliding down to meet her in the den, squatting so he doesn't hit his head on the tree above.

"Oh it is, but when he gets tired or runs off to play I need a back-up and you're the best I have got unfortunately." She grabbed one of the many blankets she had atop her bed, unfolding it so that it would be able to wrap around the wet man next to her.

"Back up, huh? I see how much I am loved." Will shook his hands, sending water out, hitting Ben with their cold droplets. She squealed noting that he was right, the rain was almost as cold as winter snow! It's a wonder he's not shivering like a leaf.

"Stop that! Now get over here and settle down to get warm." She pointed to her bed, knowing the furs and blankets would warm him almost instantly, as it does to her every night. Will went to crawl in, but stopped suddenly. After a few moments with a pondering look, Will began to shed his clothes in front of Ben, tossing his shirt as stockings over to the corner that wasn't covered with sheets.

"Will! What are you doing?!" Ben yelped, turning as red as her hair, covering eyes as quickly as she possibly can. The man looked at her confused, wondering why she was acting so shy, it was only his chest. What was wrong with that?

"My clothes are soaking, Ben, I don't want to get your bed wet." Had she not been entirely embarrassed and blushing like mad, she would have thought the sentiment sweet. But he did have a point, and as quickly as she could, she rushed to her chest in the door way area and brought out an extra pair of pants and a shirt. All without looking at him, Ben tossed the dry clothes into his arms. Trying not to laugh at her, Will examined the clothes. The pants looked baggy and just about right for him, though he was pretty sure they would be a little high near his ankles. But as he looked at the shirt, he began to chuckle, making the red woman glance at him through split fingers.

"What's so funny?" Her hands muffled her words a little, though he could still understand her.

"This was one of the shirts I gave you awhile back. It's not going to fit me, Mina, that's why I gave it to you. It was too small." He tossed the shirt back up onto the chest, making sure not to hit the wet ground his muddy feet had been standing on.

"But that is the biggest shirt I own."

"Well, then I guess I'm not going to need one." Realization hit Ben hard, and somehow the shade of red her face was became even darker. Will chuckled though, finding her innocence and shyness adorable. "It's not like you haven't seen me shirtless before Ben. Remember that first night?" He wanted to laugh himself, thinking of the first night. Will had thought her shyness and looking away was because she had not been around people for so long. In part, that was true, but the main reason was because she was a girl, not the boy she claimed to be.

"Yes, but-"

"No buts! I'm sleeping with the covers on, so you do not have to worry. The bottoms should fit though, which is good cause even though I'm okay with going shirtless, I don't think I would be okay in just my skivvies.." _Thank God for that... _Ben thought as she turned around once again, but this time to give Will the time to change out of his pants. She listened to the sound of the wet clothes being thrown on the ground, as well as Will grunting as he pulled on the new bottoms. It would have been funny had she not been imagining it the whole time, making her scold herself and continue to blush. The blanket she had clasped between her hands was slowly pulled out from her clutches, taking her mind away from her thoughts. Ben looked to see Will wrapping the sheet around his shoulders with a bold smile on his face. Seeing him covered instantly calmed the woman, who crawled into bed, picking up her book once again. Will soon cuddled down next to her, very thankful for the warmth he was already feeling, looking to the book she held in her hands. As a child, his mother had tried to teach him to read and write. Though he was no master at the skill, he could read and write basic words that would help him get through in life. The book Ben was reading, though, had far too many words that he couldn't pronounce or even dream about understanding. It must have been the teachings she got as a child when she was raised in the Western manor to read and write at this level. After a long period of silence, and two flipped pages, Will grew curious.

"What book are you reading?" The question sunk in slowly, or she was just finding a good place to stop, he wasn't sure, but it took a few seconds before Ben replied to him.

"It's a collection of legends about Charlemagne. He's a king from awhile ago, one of the greatest I think, and will be remembered for long past our time." Will produced a fake yawn, making Ben roll her eyes, but smile none-the-less.

"Reading is so boring, I'd rather be out adventuring myself than just reading about adventuring."

"Reading is not boring, William, it's exhilarating. And how would you do some of the things in books? You can barely catch a fish!" She teased, knowing that would push his buttons. Before he could say anything in defense though, she continued. "Besides, listen to this: Charlemagne, on his part, proceeded from his entrenchments, ranged his troops in semicircle, and stood surrounded by his peers and paladins. Some of them bore portions of the armor of Rinaldo, the celebrated Ogier, the Dane, bearing the helmet which Rinaldo took from Mambrino. Duke Namo of Bavaria and Salomon of Bretagne bore two axes, of equal weight, prepared for the occasion.." As she read on, Will scooted closer and closer to her, so that he could try and see where it was at the she was reading. The only way to get a good view, though, was to put his face nearly up against her's, cheek to cheek. In turn, Ben could feel his body up against hers, already warming from the bed and blankets. The closeness was distracting her, causing her to jump words, mutter, or completely mix up what she was reading. After another paragraph of mistakes and lack of concentration, she grew annoyed at herself and tried to divert the conversation elsewhere.

"Why did you come here, anyway? Not that I do not enjoy your company, but as you said earlier, its raining rather hard out. Why go through that just to come to here?" Will looked a little taken aback by her sudden question, as he was enjoying listening to her read. He still didn't understand many of the words she said, and had no idea who this Charlemagne was, but the sound of her voice was calm and comforting, something he could listen to all day. But Will thought for a second then shrugged his shoulders.

"I was bored. Being alone in a hut all day nearly drove me mad. So I thought if I came to see you, I would be less bored."

"Glad to know that I am so useful at such times." Ben joked, squinting her eyes a little in feigned irritation. Will gave an aloof expression, trying hard to be as serious as he possibly could with her looking at him like that.

"What can I say, you are just easy." A sharp pain racketed through his arm as Ben's fist came in contact with it. Instantly his serious expression failed and Will went into a fit of laughter as he rubbed his arm, trying to make the sting go away. Though Ben acted as if she were angry, she joined in laughter with her friend, both of them enjoying the silliness of the other. Once the laughter died down, Will snuggled into the blankets and bed, sighing in contentment. It was amazing how comfy Ben's bed was, with its furs and sheets. A small smile played at his lips as he thought of how spoiled Ben was when it came to her friends. Between Azeem, John, Wulf, Will and sometimes even Robin, Ben had received so many gifts after a heist had taken place. It never seemed to fail that whenever they went out, someone would find something and instantly think of her. Will had a few blankets in his hut, but not as much as Ben. Azeem, the one that would supply her with most of the items she owned, always thought that her living underground was colder than living in a normal hut or one of the tree dwellings like the rest of them. Will guessed Azeem had never set foot inside her Burrow because most of the time it was the opposite. If it was hot, it would remain nice and cool. On the cold nights, it would get a little chilly but not as much as the other homes though, who weren't as protected from cold winds like Ben was.

But Will also had a suspicion her gifts were an apology, in a way, for not letting her go on as many heists as she wanted to. Since she had been teaching the others archery, Ben rarely ever left the camp unless she was hunting. Maybe once or twice a month she could go with them, but it wasn't as much as she would like. Will knew she loved going, especially if it had anything to do with Nottingham and any who liked that bastard. Still, she never whined and continued to teach the others all she could. She had even taken up teaching Wulf to read and write while all the others were away to pass the time, for both her and the boy. Will smiled again, thinking of her kindness and strength, it was one of the many reasons he loved her.

"What are you thinking about?" Ben's voice drew him from his thoughts, which made him blush almost as red as Ben had earlier at his last thought. Will still had yet to get the courage to confess to her. After Ben's story nearly two weeks ago, Will debated on how to come out and tell her. He had given up trying to woo her, as he could never seem to get it right, and even Ben herself said it was foolish to go about it that way. But how to say it, that was his problem..

"About how comfy your bed is. Why isn't mine this comfortable?" Will fake pouted, trying to take his mind away from his current thoughts. He wasn't exactly lying, he was thinking about her bed, he just didn't tell her _everything_ he was thinking about. None the less, Ben chuckled at his complaint.

"Well then maybe you should come live in here then. It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before." Normally saying something as scandalous as that would send Ben into a fit, having being raised by a noble family, after all. But living in the woods for nigh on six years, she wasn't as confined as she used to be.

"Ha, yeah you're right. Wow, it feels like it's been forever since then."

"It's nearly been three months.. I can't believe how the time flies." Will looked her in the eyes, a sweet grim on his lips.

"Yeah, but I enjoyed every moment with you. Even when you were a boy." He teased, making Ben grin just like him.

"You are never going to let that go are you?" She asked in a joking manner, which caused them both to laugh.

"Never, not even after we're married, with 20 kids. I'm gonna tell them all their momma was a boy for 5 years." Will had nearly failed at dodging Ben's fist again. He was going to laugh at her feeble attempt to attack him, until a pillow hit im square in the face. Multiple times. After about ten successful hits, and ten fails at blocking, Ben finally relented after thinking he had enough. Finally able to breath again, Will burst into laughter, so much so that his sides started to hurt. "I was only joking!" He said, wheezing, as it was hard to speak through the laughter and pain.

"If, by some miracle of God, we ever do get married William Scarlet, you will rue the day you told our children that!" Will chuckled at her threat, but laid down, trying to catch his breath and finally calm down. All the jokes and teasing, Will hadn't realized how tired he was until he had willed himself to settle. The cloudy sky made it hard for Will to tell what time it was, but with how drowsy he felt he would guess nearly around midnight as it was the only time that was hard to keep his eyes open. With a sigh, Will closed his eyes, allowing the wave of sleep to take him. It was a few more moments before Benjamina realized that Will's breathing had slowed down. Unsure, she scooted a little closer to him, listening to each lazy breath that escaped his nostrils.

"Will?" She spoke softly, almost a whisper. She could only guess that he was asleep, so in case he was, she didn't wish to wake him. Taking this moment she had, Ben looked over her friend as he slept peacefully. It wasn't too hard to see him, as she had 3 candles lit, making his tan skin glow with beautiful oranges and yellows. It made him look so handsome with his strong jaw, the defined cheek bones, the ever changing brow line that went from amused to brooding so easily. With out any real thought, Ben ran her fingers along his jawline, feeling the small stubble already growing in since he shaved this morning. The bristle tickled her fingers as they glided all the way to his chin. Her hand was about to go down to his chest, but she remembered that he wasn't wearing a shirt. Unable to resist, Ben's eyes just glanced down for a moment, seeing the patch of brown hair peaking out from between the blankets. She remembered the first time she saw this those few months ago, entirely embarrassed and unsure how to react to him taking off his shirt and exposing his lean torso.

Chuckling at her own innocence, Ben returned her eyes to Will's face. Scanning him one more time, her gaze lingered on his lips. Thoughts of the day when he nearly kissed her sprang to mind, and she found her breath hitched within her lungs. Was he really going to kiss her? It felt like he was, with how close he got and when he closed his eyes. She could still remember what it felt like to have his hot breath dancing over her lips, the heat from his body warming her own. Then she remembered how she had leaned forward too, ready for what was going to happen. But maybe it wasn't going to happen at all.. Maybe that's just what she wanted to believe, maybe she just wanted him to kiss her so she thought he was going to. But why would she want to kiss him? Will was her best friend, one she could see herself living without. But wasn't that love? That was what Erik would always say about Adelaide, that she was his most closest friend and he would rather die than live without her. Was Benjamina Helen Rouge in love? As she looked at him once again, a warm feeling spread through her, making her smile sweetly at his sleeping form.

"Yes.. It's love, how can it be anything but?" She didn't care that she said it out loud, her mind was thinking of other things than worrying if Will had heard her. Ben lightly ran her fingers over his lips, feeling the softness of them, and she wondered what it would have been like had they actually kissed. Would it have been sweet and soft, or deep and passionate? Would it leave her breathless and speechless? What would have happened to them after? So many questions buzzing through her head like furious little bumblebees about a hive. She wondered if this was normal for those who were in love. Ben had never felt like this before, not even with any of the boys who had lived at the Manor and played with her when she was a child. Maybe a wee fancy for the knights in storybooks and great heroes of old, but they were only books and legends. That was nothing to as real as this felt.

Subconsciously she grazed her fingers over his lips again, but this time he shifted from his position, causing her to jump from the sudden action. Will didn't wake from his slumber, all he did was tilt his head more towards her instead of the forward position he was in. But as he moved, a moan escaped his lips, a soft one that would have been barely audible had Ben not been so close to him. "Mina.." He uttered, as his shifting stopped and he finally lay back to rest.

Hearing her name made her blush far more than any she had done that day. Inside her head her name was being repeated over and over in Will's tired voice, as if an echo in a deep cave. Disbelief cluttered her mind. Sure, she had wanted Will to kiss her, and her new revelation of loving him was uplifting, but this? Was Will dreaming of her? And it wasn't til after she touched his lips that he said it. So was he dreaming of kissing her?

It was too much for her right now, her heart was beating far too fast with new hope and her brain felt swelled from her bombardment of questions. If she were to let her mind linger on this any more, Ben was sure she would not be able to sleep tonight. Then, it was hard not to think of it as he slept in her bed, next to her. _I wonder what it would be like..To sleep with him? Next to him, far more closely then I ever have._ Her curiosity always had a habit of getting the best of her so gingerly, she lowered her head onto his chest, lulled by the sound of his rhythmic heartbeat. It was so comforting that she didn't realize how quickly she had fallen asleep, content and happy.

* * *

><p>Not very much sun ever breaks through into the Burrow, so it was always hard to tell what time it was when she awoke. Most of the time she would rise around 7 or 8, maybe 9 if she had stayed up later than she normally would. But the moment Ben's dreams of the loving past lifted from her, and the feeling of drowsiness blanketed her, she knew it must have slept in as she felt stiff all over. Stretching from her comfortable spot, listening to the bones in her body pop one at a time, Ben wondered why she had slept so long, and with the way she felt, so deeply. Trying to think back before she drifted into slumber, she realized her pillow was breathing beneath her head. Fear gripped at her and she tensed, thinking a snake or some animal had crawled it's way into her home as she had unconsciously lay upon it. Hesitantly she looked up to see hazel brown and green eyes, filled with merry and mirth, staring down into her emerald orbs. It was a pleasant sight, to see Will so happy and looking at her in the morning, that a lazy smile spread over her lips with heavy lidded eyes.<p>

"Good morning, beautiful." He whispered to her, smile seeming to widen as he watched her attempt to rub the exhaustion from her eyes. Normally he would have said something more silly, just to see her glare at him or attempt to punch and hurt him in some way. But when he himself awoke that morning to find her nuzzled into his chest, resting peacefully, he had not stopped smiling since. He never wanted to admit it, but since his realization of his feelings, Will wondered what it would be like so close to each other like they were now. He could feel her heartbeat even now against his skin, beating in time with his own. It was an addictive feeling, just to hold her like this, and Will was trying hard to refrain from keeping her like this for the rest of the day. Didn't want the other guys to think he had gone too soft after all.. Ben chuckled softly at what he said though, her brain still trying to work its way out of the haze that deep slept tends to cover her in. "Sleep that good, huh?"

She didn't reply with words, though she moaned her approval, nodding her head. Sleep was calling her back already and it was a war she was slowly losing. Then again, she wasn't putting up much of a fight, as she was too comfy to attempt to resist. Ben wanted to cuddle closer to him, enjoying the body heat that was radiating off of his body, like a fireplace with legs. The sheets he covered himself in were slightly in the way though... But when she remembered Will was half naked under the covers she clung to, all strings of sleep tugging at her snapped and her head spun as she bolted up from where she had lay too quickly. The sudden movement startled Will, thinking he had insulted her in some way, and the red tint to her cheeks only made him more curious.

"Mina, you okay?" Her name rolled off his tongue so smoothly, that it had Ben's skin crawling like thousands of tiny needles dancing upon her skin. Not with disgust or malice, but with something all too different and it scared her a little. _Mina.._ He had said her name in the night, like a prayer, and almost as passionately. His lips soft under her touch.. _Mina_. She shook herself from her thoughts, becoming so timid with her friend that it was near impossible to look into his eyes like she loved doing. He reached for her then, concerned that maybe she had come down with a cold. A gentle touch to her cheek and Will felt her face was burning hot. "Mina, are you-"

"No, no no! I'm fine! Do not worry for me, I am fine." Ben rushed, trying to smooth down her crimson hair, trying to find anything for her to fiddle with and look away from him. These thoughts she was having, she shouldn't be having them for a friend, especially Will. He meant so much to her that she did not want to ruin their friendship over her own insecurities and desires. No matter how much she wanted to believe he had dreamed of kissing her, that he wanted to kiss her all those days ago.

"Mina, your face is burning." There her name was again. Why did he have to say it like that?

"It's just hot in here. I think I should go outside!" Quickly she rushed from out under the tree, tugging her boots on, and into the crisp morning air of England. It was still a little chilly, and the air still had moisture from all the rain, but it was a cold that Ben appreciated. Small gusts of wind blew over her, cleansing her of the fire that was welling up inside her before it could burst as a volcano would. A part of her felt guilty for just leaving Will like that, and she wanted nothing more than to return and tell him why, but Ben was too afraid. So afraid of what he would say to her. Afraid of what may happen to them. So she did the one thing she knew how to do the best. Run and hide. She would not leave the camp, no this was her home, but she could avoid Will until she got herself under control. Until her name stopped haunting her as if it were the boogeyman himself.

Walking further into the camp, Ben looked around for something to do, anything. From the looks of it, Robin and most of the men were no where in sight, which meant they had already left and were preparing for their next great robbery. That left Azeem, John and Robin out of the picture as well as archery training since most of the men went with the group for back up and numbers. Fanny was always busy with her children or preparing the food for the camp, and Ben didn't want to get in her way. Helping cook the food was out of the question too, as she was terrible with cooking since she never learned how to. Why did she when she was being raised by nobles? Even before that when she was still considered a servant, Ben wasn't allowed in the kitchen unless by direct order from Erik or Adelaide. Duncan was speaking to a group of older folk, laughing about something, though she couldn't hear what from the distance. Wulf, she saw, was playing with a group of kids his age, and Ben wouldn't dare take him away from that. The poor kid rarely had any friends his age before Robin came, so allowing him this time to finally play was of far more importance than her fear. Many of the others that didn't go off on the heist or cooking were busy with their own chores or tasks, and Ben couldn't feel any more alone. Especially since the one person she knew always had time for her, or made time, was Will. What was she going to do?

She couldn't go to their spot by the river, that would be the first place he would look to. She could not stay in the village, it would be easy to see her and catch her. The only place she could think of, was Sherwood, the one place she knew better than most anyplace else. The one place that had hide her and kept her safe for years. Without a certain baring, Ben walked into the forest with determined steps and fearful place. What was she going to do..?

It would be hours before anyone noticed how long she has been gone. Anyone besides Will, who had been searching the moment he left the Burrow. He had looked all over camp, the edges of it, the bathing pool, their river spot, the lake, even bake to her Burrow, but she was gone. Fear had clutched at him then, thinking she had run away and left the camp. Left him. What had he done to scare her like this? Why was she avoiding him?

Somehow he found himself in the forest itself trying to think of some place that she could be. Maybe she had her own special place to go where no one else knew about, though most of the time it was her Burrow. Maybe she went off hunting, as she hadn't done that for a few days. Since she had trained the men to shoot, many of them had taken up the mantle of hunter and went out to catch food so there was rarely a need for her to do so. Where could she possibly-

_Achoo!_

It was a sneeze, and a tiny one, but Will had heard it and knew exactly who it was. He could tell that sneeze from anywhere, one that sounded as if a little girl had sneezed. Will stopped moving, listening intently for the next one he knew was about to come any second now.

Wait...

Wait...

_Achoo!_

There it was! And now Will had a baring of where she was. Following where he heard the sound, Will found himself in a smallish clearing with a huge and twisted tree in the center. The limbs twirled in many directions, as if it was trying to dance. Following the limbs up, he could see the figure of a body sitting on one of the upper most branches, legs hanging over and swinging just a little. Relief flooded through his body, knowing she was safe and didn't run away like he feared she had done.

"Ya know-" He heard a yelp as the body nearly fell off the tree in fear, "leaving the bed like that can make a man feel very unwanted." Ben looked down from her perch to see Will standing bellow, hands on his hips as if he were scolding her, and a devilish grin on his face.

"How did you find me?"

"Well, I know that sneeze better than anyone, I used to tease you about it when you were masquerading as a boy, saying it sounded far too girly for a man. I remember you used to hold your sneezes in after that and John would yell at you, saying your eyes would pop out of your scull if you kept doing that. But you still did since you didn't want to be teased anymore." Ben blushed, thinking back on all the times he did tease her.

"Actually it was because I didn't want you thinking I was a girl.." She confessed, climbing down the tree nimbly, landing right in front of Will.

"Why did you run, Mina?" His low voice was filled with sorrow and confusion, and Ben felt the sting of it. She didn't think about how Will would have felt when she ran, she just wanted to think things through before she confronted him. "Was it something I said? Did I offend you somehow?"

"Yes-No! No you didn't!" She caught herself quickly, though Will didn't seem persuaded.

"What? What is it?" Ben hesitated, though she wanted to say it so badly. But how to without sounding so weak.

"It's just.." Will waited, looking at her though she refused to look back at him. Finally she sighed, and glanced at him through her long lashes. "You said my name last night.. While you slept. You were dreaming of me." Will couldn't hide the rosy colour tinting his cheeks, as he had remembered the dream he had quite vividly.

"Was that it? Why didn't you just tell me instead of-"

"I was afraid William! Afraid I would lose you if I had made a wrong step, asked the wrong question! I was afraid you wouldn't.." She stopped mid sentence and didn't continue. It looked as if she were at war with herself, and Will was starting to believe he knew why. And of all the things he could think of, he never thought it would be like this. But he stepped toward her, not caring that she flinched at his sudden movements.

"I am already wearied with thinking

of how my thoughts are never weary of you,

and how I've not abandoned life itself yet,

to flee so heavy a weight of sighs:

and how my tongue is never lacking sound

to speak of your face and your hair,

and your lovely eyes I always talk of,

calling on your name day and night:

and how my feet are never tired and weary

of following your footsteps everywhere,

spending so many paces uselessly:

and how from it comes all the ink and paper

where I go writing of you: if that is wrong,

it is Love's fault, not a defect of my art."

He spoke so wistfully full of passion and hope that it left Ben thoughtless, breathless. It was beyond beautiful, and yet it sounded slightly familiar. The first line she had heard before, and she was sure it was said by Will. Then she remembered at their log when Will was acting strangely, mixing up strange words and curses because he couldn't say something right. Was this what he was trying to say to her? This poem?

"Will, that was-" But she had no time to speak, as Will closed the remaining distance between the two, holding her face in his hands and bringing her lips to his. They were so soft on her's, so gentle, yet so full of want and need as if without her lips he would die. Ben couldn't think, she could barely move, all that was racing through her mind was that _He is kissing me_. And it was exactly how she dreamed it would be. Before she could return the kiss, Will took a step back, though didn't take his hands from her face. Caressing it tenderly within his grasp, his thumbs brushing up and down her cheeks as he stared into her eyes.

"I love you, Mina."

_**Memo:** Hey everyone, hope you're all still alive lol. The book Ben was reading I got from Legends of Charlemagne  
>Romance of the Middle Ages by Thomas Bulfinch and the poem Will was finally able to remember was <span>Francesco Petrarch: "Io son già stanco di pensar sí come<span>". Hope you all loved this chapter, thank you all for reading still. You are all my beautiful muses :3 xoxoxo_


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